Spawn (Movie Finds New Writers with ‘Joker,’ ‘Captain America 4’ Scribes)

It looks like we're going to have to wait at least a little bit longer to see the Spawn reboot. Todd McFarlane, who created the character in the pages of Image Comics and is set to both write and direct the new movie, has been working hard on a new big screen version for some time now. Last year, he teamed with Blumhouse Productions to finally make it happen and the project has been in development ever since. Unfortunately, it's been difficult when it comes to actually getting cameras rolling and now, production has been delayed yet again.

According to a new report, Spawn has now been pushed by at least a few months and now looks to get filming in June 2019, in Toronto, Canada. When last we heard, it looked like Todd McFarlane was going to be ready to roll in early 2019. It appears as though it's really taking some time to nail this thing down behind the scenes. There's no reason to be concerned necessarily, at least not yet, but it's hard not to wonder what is going on that is causing the delays.

When Blumhouse came on board, Todd McFarlane already had a completed script for the movie, which is typically something that takes a lot of time. Surely there have been rewrites, but the story has been there for some time. McFarlane did, however, come in with a pretty intense list of demands, including insisting that he direct it, despite that fact that he's never directed a movie before. Perhaps that is getting in the way? Maybe there are arguments about the movie's budget? Or maybe nothing is wrong and it's just one of those unfortunately slow-to-develop projects. At this point, all we can really do is speculate.

What we know for sure is that this won't be your average comic book movie. It's going to be R-rated, a hard R, to the point that Todd McFarlane says he wants to make little kids cry. It's also going to be much cheaper than most comic book adaptations, with the goal to get the budget somewhere around the $10 million range. Jamie Foxx has been tapped to star as the titular character, with Jeremy Renner being eyed as the lead role, a cop named Twitch Williams. Low budget as it may be, Spawn has lined up some big stars so far, which certainly doesn't hurt anything.

Legendary VFX artist Greg Nicotero, known for his work on The Walking Dead, who also worked on the 1997 Spawn, is also on board. The hope is that this reboot can atone for the sins of the 1997 movie, which was, by nearly all accounts, not a good interpretation of McFarlane's work. The movie is currently without a release date, but we'll be sure to keep you posted as any new details on the project are made available.

Over twenty years ago, Todd McFarlane was the first of the Image Comics founders to get his creator-owned comic on the big screen. Spawn hit theaters in 1997, a mere four years after the first issue was published. However, McFarlane has never been entirely satisfied with that film, which is why he's writing and directing his own Spawn reboot for Blumhouse. McFarlane has already lined up Jamie Foxx as Al Simmons/Spawn and Jeremy Renner as Twitch. But at the moment, Spawn doesn't have a release date.

When SYFY WIRE spoke to McFarlane about the new Spawn movie, he expressed his excitement to be working with Greg Nicotero, the zombie makeup and effects guru behind The Walking Dead.

"Greg and I worked together briefly when Spawn came out 20 years ago," explained McFarlane. "Our skill sets weren't where they are [now]. But he's coming in, and not only has his monster ability [advanced], his creature designing, his mentality of what can be onscreen in a practical way ... Just to be clear, when you don’t have special effects, he’s your guy."

According to McFarlane, Nicotero's directing experience on The Walking Dead has made him an invaluable asset for the Spawn reboot.

"When I explain [visuals] to him, he's able to then go, 'You know, Todd, maybe if we tweak it like this and we design it like this, then I can get you to where you want to go,'" related McFarlane. "He's coming into it with this big giant visual on top of it. He’s almost like a ... second director of photography."

For more intel about the new Spawn movie, check out the entire video.

joey con carne wrote:Somehow I missed the minor detail of MacFarlane writing and directing this new film. As the original creator, I suppose I will have to give this film a chance to see his vision.

I am still skeptical about this one but I will definitely give it a chance.

Tyger wrote:That’s been the case pretty much the last 2 decades and I can guarantee you it’s because he wants to do it and his version sounds lame.

joey con carne wrote:He sounds like such a douche. You know how some people can have a dry, deadpan humor and it’s just funny and really pleasant? Not this guy. I can’t figure out if he thinks he is funny or he just has zero personality. I am inclined to think the latter.

Tyger wrote:I’m not saying he’s gay, but having a wife doesn’t mean a man isn’t gay. That was one of the many politically incorrect jokes I loved in the latest Chappelle special.

It's been about a year and a half since Todd McFarlane cut a deal with Blumhouse Productions to bring his vision of an R-rated Spawn reboot to life. Yet, we sit here seemingly no closer to the movie getting made, for various reasons. However, according to McFarlane, the recent success of Joker could help to get the project going.

Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn, is celebrating a recent milestone, as his Image Comics title passed 301 issues, putting it in The Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running creator-owned superhero comic in history. During a recent interview in honor of the achievement, McFarlane was asked about the status of his long-gestating movie. Here's what he had to say about it, commenting about the recent success of Joker.

   "We keep pushing for it. It's interesting cause the Marvel movies, the MCU, has been doing quite well and those are PG-13 movies. I keep trying to convince people that doing a dark, serious comic book movie will work. There's been so much success with these PG-13 movies that there's a resistance to them in Hollywood. But since Joker came out, it proves what I've been saying for over two years to any executives I can talk to. Serious dark comic books can work. R-movies can succeed. So now, all of a sudden, I've been getting a lot of phone calls saying, 'Todd, we need to talk to you about that R-rated dark thing you wanted to do.' So Joker did me a favor."

Indeed, Joker has been an unexpectedly huge success. Starring Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role, the Todd Phillips-directed DC Comics adaptation has grossed a stunning $856 million worldwide, and counting. It's also been met with positive reviews and even took home the top prize at the Venice Film Festival. Not bad for an R-rated comic book movie Warner Bros. initially didn't have confidence in.

Todd McFarlane, meanwhile, wrote the script for his new Spawn movie personally, and intends to direct. This, despite the fact that he's never directed a feature before. Blumhouse supported his vision, but getting the budget needed has proved problematic. Now, as McFarlane tells it, opportunities are opening up, thanks to Joker. The key difference being that Todd Phillips had directed quite a few movies before making his DC adaptation, as the man behind The Hangover trilogy, as well as Due Date and War Dogs.

Jamie Foxx is attached to star in the title role, with Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner also attached as a lead character, Twitch Williams. In the past, Todd McFarlane has compared the movie he wishes to make to Jaws and sees it as more of a horror movie, not a traditional superhero flick. It certainly doesn't hurt that Joker was also rather non-traditional. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further updates on the project are made available. This news comes to us via the Phoenix New Times.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Cool! Will we see more R rated movies now that Joker is a success? Disney has already said that Deadpool will still be R rated as well.

With any luck, we'll be getting some big news about the long-gestating Spawn reboot sooner rather than later. This, according to creator Todd McFarlane, who has been actively trying to get his R-rated new take on the franchise going for several years now. Yet, the official movement has been somewhat slow. However, thanks to the success Joker has enjoyed, that all may change.

Todd McFarlane recently took to Instagram to provide a brief update on the status of the project. He revealed that he expects to have some news next month, while saying that Joker has made R-rated movies "sexy." This isn't the first time that McFarlane has hinted that the success of the DC Comics adaptation may ultimately help get Spawn off the ground. Here's what he had to say about it.

   "Thanks to Joker movie, getting lots of momentum on Spawn movie. Hope to have big news in the next month. R-rated is now sexy in Hollywood. Todd. #spawnmovie #SPAWN #movies #news #updates"

The post features an image of the comic book character with actor Jamie Foxx in the foreground. Jamie Foxx is signed on to play the role of Al Simmons, aka Spawn, should the project move forward. Avengers: Endgame star Jeremy Renner is also signed on to play a lead role in the movie. Todd McFarlane cut a deal with Blumhouse Productions in July 2017 to produce the script that he's written for the adaptation of his Image Comics creation. McFarlane, hoping to avoid another repeat of what happened with the 1997 adaptation, is insisting on directing the movie himself, despite not having any experience behind the camera. 1997's Spawn movie, which starred Michael Jai White in the lead role, was a critical disappointment and grossed just $87 million at the box office.

On the one hand, it's not hard to understand why Todd McFarlane wants to exercise a level of creative control over the project. But it's also easy to see why investors might be hesitant to put in cash when the projects rests on the shoulders of an untested director. McFarlane in the past has stated it will be low-budget for a comic book movie, in the $10 million range, and will be more akin to a horror movie, with comparisons being made to Jaws quite a few times. While that's a relatively small amount of money, in Hollywood terms, it's still a lot to gamble.

That having been said, Joker earned more than $1 billion at the box office and recently scored 11 Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. It's easy to see how that could cause other studios to look around and see what other IP might be available out there to try and emulate that success. Spawn, it would seem, is ready to go. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are made available. Be sure to check out the post from Todd McFarlane's Instagram for yourself.

A movie based on Todd McFarlane's Image Comics character Spawn has been in the works for quite some time now and while there hasn't been a lot in the way of major news, McFarlane has offered updates here and there, including recently telling ComicBook.com that a big announcement is coming, But now, Jamie Foxx, who is set to star in the film, is offering some pretty big updates of his own, revealing to us that the film is "special and original" while comparing it to another original take on a comic book character — Joker.

"I will tell you this. I talk to Todd and the thing is that we want to craft something that is so special because I remember seeing the first Spawn movies and then seeing the HBO versions and so we have something that is almost like an original, without giving too much away," Foxx said. "But it starts in a. way that is so cool. And it's not big budget, you know? And that's what I love about it. It's sort of like how when they did the Joker. The Joker, yes, is here, but the story about this man who was in fire, it's the same with what we're doing with this. And so, we're just like, just getting this right, cooking it right, but staying in contact, keeping the energy going and when we lay it on you, there's gonna be some moments where you go "oh man." You've been watching everybody shoot their shot and now we're getting ready to shoot ours."

McFarlane himself told us a bit about progress on the project earlier this year, acknowledging that while there haven't been a ton of satisfying answers about the film, there's a lot going on to make it a reality.

"I get it, because we're living in a weird time, in the pandemic, and nobody wants to say anything, because you don't know what's going to happen and whatever else," McFarlane explained. "But we as a collective team are doing what needs to be done to keep this moving. We put a little bit of pressure on ourselves to say, 'Can we have by midyear something really big and tangible to go public with?' Which is not only to backtrack on the people we've added, but to also say, 'And we sold it to a studio.' Something that's really tangible. That it's like we're not just farting around."

"I know when people don't get concrete names and information and stuff, and when I have to say, 'Stuff's happening. Just wait,' that's not very satisfying answer, which is essentially what I'm saying. And that's what's frustrating because I know that it's way more than that happening. And you know, dealing on the Hollywood front, with all the stuff, there are lots and lots of things going on that have yet to be sort of announced," he added. "But yeah, I fall in that same bucket, but at least we're all rowing in the same direction right now. So, I think there's a bit of a distraction, but now, I think we're all pretty focused here, and everybody wants the same goal, which is, 'Let's take this thing to the next level. Come on, guys, let's go.'"

Source: ComicBook

joey con carne wrote:Is this the movie that was supposed to be Spawn movie but Spawn isn’t even in it?

Tyger wrote:That’s what McFarlane wants to do which is why I don’t give a fuck about it unless someone else does it

joey con carne wrote:Sounds like they are trying to do a DC with this movie. Another five years before release? LOL does anyone even care about this? This forum is the only place I have ever read about this supposed movie production.

joey con carne wrote:But he’s not even going to be in the movie so you wouldnt be able to see him kick ass.

Maybe set up for a sequel where he will be front and centre but it will take another ten years to make.

WyldeMan wrote:

joey con carne wrote:But he’s not even going to be in the movie so you wouldnt be able to see him kick ass.

Maybe set up for a sequel where he will be front and centre but it will take another ten years to make.

They need to make a movie that's half Al so viewers can get to know what a savage mother fucker he was in life before he served Hell in death. The 1997 movie didn't set this up and McFarlane's early plans didn't either, so I hope everything has changed. Their comparison to Joker makes me think they want a slow burn origin story that takes awhile to get to the Immolation.

Spawn's world is too big to cram into a two hour movie. I want an 8 episode order on HBO Max.

joey con carne wrote:I really enjoyed the animated series a lot. I thought that was pretty well done. I'm sure you've seen it already but I wonder how it holds up today. I will give it another rewatch after Prey.

Blumhouse’s Spawn movie is getting a new jolt of creative energy, with the film based on Todd McFarlane’s comic book character adding a trio of writers.

Joker’s Scott Silver, Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Malcolm Spellman and rising scribe Matt Mixon are teaming on a new script for the feature, which has been in development at Blumhouse since 2017. Jamie Foxx remains attached to star as the anti-hero, who was first introduced in the comics in 1992, with McFarlane among the film’s producers.

McFarlane had been eying the director’s chair, and wrote a previous draft of the script. But the comic book writer and artist acknowledges he may not be the right person to direct, particularly now that some of the highest profile writers in the comic book movie space are involved.

“If we’ve got an A-list actor, A-list producers, A-list writers, then do you want to shoot for A-list directors, A-list cinematographers?” McFarlane tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The answer is, ‘of course.’ Let’s keep the momentum going.”

Spellman notes that Spawn holds a special place for him.

“I grew up in Berkeley, which is a comic book city. Todd McFarlane’s SPAWN character was always one of my favorites — a Black superhero that was no bullshit, he was cool and dealt with modern issues,” says Spellman in a statement. “Myself, Matt Mixon, and Scott Silver are pledged to honoring what Todd started and what SPAWN is at its core, delivering something that’s relevant and edgy and unlike any other superhero movie out there.”

Silver and Spellman have both have put their stamps on the comic book sphere in different ways. Joker defied expectations in 2019, earning more than $1 billion globally and earning Joaquin Phoenix a best actor Oscar, while Silver and director Todd Phillips nabbed adapted screenplay Oscar nominations. Silver, who was previously Oscar-nominated for writing The Fighter, is currently penning a sequel to Joker with Phillips.

Spellman created The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the Disney+ series starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. The series was praised for tackling social issues such as institutional racism in a way never before portrayed in a comic book adaptation. He is currently writing the high-profile Captain America: New World Order for Marvel Studios to star Mackie.

Mixon came up in the world of documentaries and helmed the 2017 music doc Yesterday Was Everything, about the hardcore band Misery Signals reuniting ten years after their debut album.

Spawn was a launch title for Image Comics, the artist-founded publisher that is home to titles such as The Walking Dead and where McFarlane remains CEO. The original Spawn No. 1 sold 1.7 million issues and the character has launched games, an animated HBO show and a 1997 New Line movie starring Michael Jai White. McFarlane has kept the character a priority at Image, launching multiple titles over the past year.

In the comics, Spawn is a former black-ops agent who makes a deal with a demon after being betrayed and killed. The demon allows him to return to Earth, but when he returns, five years have passed, his wife has moved on, and he roams Earth as a disfigured spawn of hell.

While Foxx remains attached to star, the involvement of Jeremy Renner, who was previously attached, is to be determined, depending on how things come together with the new draft. McFarlane’s version of the script was for a low-budget feature, but the new Spawn may get a slightly heftier budget, says McFarlane, who along with the team is seeking a studio partner.

As for this latest iteration of Spawn, McFarlane cites seeing the R-rated Joker in 2019 as a turning point, with him wondering, “why not just go for the guy who wrote the movie?” He was pleasantly surprised that Silver said yes, and it snowballed from there, with the other writers joining in.

Says McFarlane: “It was a complete hail marry. Sometimes timing is everything.”

Source: THR

“If we’ve got an A-list actor, A-list producers, A-list writers, then do you want to shoot for A-list directors, A-list cinematographers?” McFarlane tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The answer is, ‘of course.’ Let’s keep the momentum going.”

WyldeMan wrote:So after all these years and all this waiting and all those teases from McFarlane and Foxx about huge news coming it was that the old script was thrown out and they're hiring some guys from the MCU to write a new draft? I gotta be honest, I'm pretty disappointed to see that they're back at Jump Street again after all these years.

I am amused though by the fact that McFarlane has been talking non-stop for the past few years about how he wanted to make Spawn like Joker and now he's gone a hired 1/2 of the writing team from both Joker films.

But this McFarlane quote about the director I found interesting given he's always claimed that he would be the one directing while none of us have wanted that.

“If we’ve got an A-list actor, A-list producers, A-list writers, then do you want to shoot for A-list directors, A-list cinematographers?” McFarlane tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The answer is, ‘of course.’ Let’s keep the momentum going.”

Rusty wrote:It's the right direction. As you said, no one wanted McFarlane to direct it, but holy shit this is taking forever. Hope these new writers can crack out something in a timely fashion.