Comics
Todd McFarlane Says His ‘Spawn’ Will Be a “Hard R” About the Boogeyman!
This past weekend Deadpool kicked the box office’s ass, and by doing so has opened the door for other risky films to follow in its path. I spoke about this a few hours ago, and alluded to the fact that Deadpool makes it possible for an R-rated Wolverine, which has just been announced, as well as other properties that studio’s may have been too scared to pull the trigger on.
My belief is that Todd McFarlane’s Spawn is one such case. He’s been talking about his own adaptation for years now, so much so that I hesitate covering any updates. But the timing is really good here and I’m sensing McFarlane is seeing an opportunity to get a major studio behind a reboot of Spawn.
ComicBook has the exclusive out of the New York Toy Fair, and added even more to the story that began with news of a completely screenplay (that still needs to be trimmed down).
Things get really good here when McFarlane reveals that his Spawn, which he intends to direct, will be a “Hard R” in the vein of a horror film. Shit, he compares Spawn to the Boogeyman and even states that it will be along the lines of if The Departed met Paranormal Activity – without all of the visual effects!
“In the background, there’s this thing moving around, this boogeyman. That boogeyman just happens to be something that you and I, intellectually, know is Spawn,” he explained. “Will he look like he did in the first movie? No. Will he have a supervillain he fights? No. He’s going to be the spectre, the ghost.”
He likens Spawn’s presence in the new movie to that of the lurking evil in Japanese horror films (and their Hollywood remakes) like ‘The Grudge’ or ‘The Ring.’
“I think they all work because there’s only one thing in the movie that’s not normal. There’s not five things, there’s one thing that’s the boogeyman. So that’ll be Spawn,” he said. “He’s this thing that just whooshes in, this ghost that moves and will f*** you up if you’re in the wrong place in the wrong time, and the rest of the movie will look real, and be this real drama. He’s just this ghost, this thing behind it.”
It’s a take on the character, moving even farther from the superhero comics that birthed it, that McFarlane has been wanting to explore for awhile, but it also has a practical application.
“Basically, I can make this version of the movie on a budget without crazy special effects,” he said with a slight chuckle. “I want to keep it small, keep it tight, so they’ll let me direct it!”
I made it clear that I’m not a fan of New Line’s 1997 adaptation of McFarlane’s Image comic book character, but it did spawn (pun intended) one of the best movie soundtracks of all-time, and John Leguizamo’s performance as Clown was absolutely brilliant. There are cool things about it, but ultimately I would love to see McFarlane’s own personal vision on screen. As an artist and an entrepreneur it’s pretty clear that he truly cares and tries to make the best products he can for his fans (his “Spawn” toys were the first of their kind and paved the way for other premium action figure releases). Let’s hope we get to see his final vision for Spawn, too!
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.
Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.
In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”
The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”
Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”
“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.
Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”
Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)
Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
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