Scriptwriter David Goyer has revealed that the sequel to the poorly received Ghost Rider movie will not be a reboot, but it will have a significant change of style: "What Casino Royale was to the Bond movies, hopefully this will be to Ghost Rider" he tells MTV.com.

The first movie, based on the Marvel comic strip character about a motorbike stunt rider who's cursed to become a demon every night, underperformed at the box office, and didn't please fans with its campy approach. Many were surprised that a sequel was even announced, but expected that the film would give the franchise a complete makeover. Not so, says Goyer, who wrote the Blade movies and Batman Beyond, and is currently showrunner on FlashForward.

"This story picks up eight years after the first film," says Goyer. "It's as if you took that same character where things ended in the first film and then picked it up eight years later—he's just in a much darker, existential place… I hate to say it's more realistic, because he's got a flaming skull for a head, but it's a bit more stripped down and darker."

Nicolas Cage is back in the saddle as the star and Goyer reckons the film will go before the cameras before the end of 2010.