Marvel Studios is negotiating with screenwriter Jon Spaihts to write the screenplay for a Doctor Strange film that will be directed by Scott Derrickson (see "'Doctor Strange' Director Set").  Spaihts wrote the first draft of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi extravaganza Prometheus and is currently working on a reboot of The Mummy for Universal.  Spaihts’ script Passengers, which is currently being developed for Keanu Reeves, made the 2007 "blacklist" of best unproduced screenplays.
 
Deadline reports that Marvel is “negotiating” with Spaihts, but negotiations must be going well because the scriptwriter went on Twitter to cite the Deadline article and proclaim "Doctor Strange was always my favorite Marvel Hero.  It’s a good day."
 
Deadline also reports that Marvel Studios is fast-tracking the Doctor Strange project, which it hopes will turn into yet another movie franchise.  Is Marvel Studios ramping up its film production in the wake of the announcement of an aggressive slate of titles from Warner Bros. and DC (see "Warners DC Film Schedule")?  According to Deadline, Marvel Studios already has a short list of actors for the key role of the neurosurgeon-turned-sorcerer that includes The Dark Knight’s Tom Hardy, Star Trek Into Darkness’ Benedict Cumberbatch, and Dallas Buyer’s Club’s Jared Leto.

What sort of a Doctor Strange film will it be?  An origin story would certainly make sense for a first Doctor Strange film, and director Scott Derrickson told JoBlo.com "I think when you consider the work that I've done it makes sense that he'd be my favorite comic book character, at least in the Marvel universe.  Probably the only comic character in that mainstream world that I'm suited to.  I feel such an affinity for the character and the story and the ambition of those comics, especially the original Stan Lee and Steve Ditko ones--I think those are my favorite of all of them."