After a long period of radio silence, life is finally coming back to the new adaptation of the “Spawn” comics. A real team of experts has now come together to ensure a fresh script. Among them: the writers of “Joker” and “Captain America 4”.
For years now, “Spawn” creator Todd McFarlane has been trying to get a new film version of his popular comic series off the ground, after the first attempt from 1997 with Michael Jai White in the title role left a lot to be desired (even if it has since achieved cult status with many). With a script by McFarlane himself, the accomplished horror studio Blumhouse and big stars like Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner on board, things looked pretty good at first. Recently, however, it became quite quiet about the reboot – until now!
The Hollywood Reporter reports that an accomplished trio of writers has now been assembled to develop a new script for “Spawn”. In addition to the up-and-coming Matt Mixon, who has so far been more at home in the documentary field, comic book fans should pay particular attention to the other two names: Scott Silver and Malcolm Spellman.
Silver has already proven that he has a knack for special comic book adaptations for adults with the DC mega-hit “Joker”, whose Oscar-nominated script he wrote together with director Todd Phillips (and whose sequel “Joker 2: Folie À Deux” he is currently working on). Spellman, on the other hand, was most recently responsible for the MCU series “The Falcon And The Winter Soldier” and is currently working on the quasi-sequel “Captain America 4: New World Order”.
Todd McFarlane’s Spawn movie had added three new writers, including Scott Silver, who previously worked on Joker. Malcolm Spellman and Matthew Mixon will write with Silver on the Jamie Foxx-starring film. https://t.co/B25MB7ohZF pic.twitter.com/ST6W6VTvxa
– IGN (@IGN) October 5, 2022
THIS IS “SPAWN “
“Spawn” is about elite soldier Al Simmons, who is murdered and then sent back to Earth from Hell – but as a demonic, disfigured creature. Here he now hunts down all the criminals on the streets, attracting the attention of a police officer who has long been fighting a lonely battle against crime.
Unlike so many other popular figures in the comic cosmos, Spawn is neither part of the DC nor the Marvel universe. The stories are published by Image Comics, the publisher of “The Walking Dead” and “Kick-Ass”.
A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SUPERHERO FILM
For the new “Spawn”, the newly hired Malcolm Spellmann promised the Hollywood Reporter that they want to deliver something that not only does justice to the character and McFarlane’s previous work, but also has to be relevant and have rough edges. They want to make something that is different from all other superhero films.
These are, of course, big words that are often used with comic book blockbusters. In view of the promising team and the dark impact of the story, there might actually be something to it in this case. Whether the “Spawn” reboot will really end up being a hard fantasy horror film with adult release, as once promised by the still heavily involved McFarlane, remains to be seen.
In any case, the “Spawn” creator never tires of emphasising that the huge success of the brutal “Joker” gave him the necessary tailwind for this direction. And that was probably one of the reasons why they wanted to get “Joker” writer Scott Silver on board as well.
WITH JAMIE FOXX BUT WITHOUT JEREMY RENNER?
Silver and co. are now also supposed to be responsible for a “Spawn” adaptation, which is to be somewhat more expensive and elaborate than the version McFarlane himself had planned with his first draft of the script. It is unclear whether the approach that the title character does not speak in the film and rather strikes mercilessly from time to time out of nowhere as a supporting character, while police detective Williams is the actual protagonist, will be retained. Accordingly, it is also uncertain whether Marvel star Jeremy Renner, who had already been earmarked for the role of Williams, will continue to be involved. That depends on what the new script looks like in the end.
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx is still expected to take on the role of Spawn. Meanwhile, the director’s chair, where Todd McFarlane himself originally wanted to take a seat, remains unoccupied. But now that such a top-class team has been put together, McFarlane says they are looking for a bigger name with more experience. In addition, a studio partner is needed to finally get the project rolling. With the illustrious new script team, however, a very decisive step has now been taken in this direction. When the new “Spawn” will be released, however, is still completely unclear at this point in time.
