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Todd McFarlane Says His ‘Spawn’ Will Be a “Hard R” About the Boogeyman!

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SPAWN 1997
Images via New Line Cinema and Image Comics

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!

SPAWN

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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‘The Wicked Trinity’ – Preview New Archie Comics One-Shot Inspired by ‘The Craft’ [Exclusive]

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From Sabrina’s Magical World, Bloody Disgusting has learned this afternoon that Archie Comics will be releasing brand new one-shot comic The Wicked Trinity this coming June.

You’ll be able to meet The Wicked Trinity in the 32-page comic on June 12, 2024.

In The Wicked Trinity, “Sabrina’s magical nemesis Amber Nightstone and her sidekicks, Jade Kazane and Sapphire Gill, are intent on becoming the most powerful witches in the world. Isolated from so many around them, the three have formed a coven based on their individual needs for vengeance and true freedom.

“But when there is some dissent among the ranks, their small coven is threatened to be obliterated from within.”

The Wicked Trinity features a script by Sam Maggs, art by Lisa Sterle, colors by Ellie Wright, letters by Jack Morelli, main cover by Lisa Sterle, and variant cover by Soo Lee.

Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante tells Bloody Disgusting, “When Editor-In-Chief Mike Pellerito came up with the idea of the Wicked Trinity—Amber Nightstone, Jade Kazane, and Sapphire Gill—I was immediately intrigued. I even had the good fortune to work on the script for Jade and Sapphire’s first appearance in last year’s SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR comic for younger readers. What I especially loved about these magical teens is that they could seamlessly transcend from classic-Archie stories into more mature, even horror stories. I was eager to start developing their world with a modern sensibility, taking cues from the great work of Kelly Thompson and Veronica Fish on our SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH series, and Sarah Kuhn and Carola Borelli on our recent DARKLING one-shot. Inspired by series like Charmed and films like The Craft, I knew there was so much potential to build up this coven in a story that beautifully blends magical fantasy with horror.”

Writer Sam Maggs previews, “Real witches writing real witches—that’s how we do things over at Archie Comics! I was named after a famous witch—Samantha from Bewitched—and so I grew up absolutely obsessed with everything witchcraft, devouring every book series I could about teen witches. That makes WICKED TRINITY a dream project for me. The power and energy of teen girls is absolutely unmatched (just look at the engine behind fandom culture) and being able to harness that metaphorically for a story like this is such a delight. Everything I write focuses on the power of female friendship, and this story is no exception. And what’s better than a morally grey female character? I struggle to think of anything. Cat familiars, maybe? Also, I’m totally a practicing witch now. So maybe if you read this, you’ll find yourself imbued with magical powers, too.*

Artist Lisa Sterle adds, “I can’t wait for people to be re-introduced to The Wicked Trinity! Witches, fashion, and Archie Comics; this is truly a magical trifecta and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to put my own personal stamp on this. I love to create stories in which girls find their own power, both from within themselves and through their friendships and coven. If you’re a fan of my Modern Witch tarot, you’ll find this comic just as magical.”

Exclusively check out the two covers for The Wicked Trinity one-shot comic below!

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