Over the last ten years, graphic novels have gone from underground to big business with nearly every major studio taking its crack at adapting the medium. There’s no telling whether the fad will eventually run its course or whether graphic novels will take their place as legitimate source material for Hollywood adaptations long term. Can some of the most brilliant comic writers working today continue to stock production houses with wonderfully inventive work, or will we see a dramatic decline in quality now that the Watchmen’s and Ghost World’s have already been filmed? I’m not sure, but at least Disney is still willing to gamble.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has purchased the rights to Cowboy Ninja Viking, a graphic novel written by AJ Lieberman and drawn by Riley Rossmo. Zombieland scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are already attached to handle the script, which really makes you wonder exactly what Disney plans on doing with Cowboy Ninja Viking. The graphic novel follows an evil therapist who turns his multiple personality disorder patients into killing machines known as triplets. All pale in comparison to Cowboy Ninja Viking. Part of this sounds like a goofy children’s movie, and the other part sounds like a real dark and graphic conspiracy-laden action film. Disney really needs to choose one or the other. If they attempt to navigate the middle, there’s no way this won’t suck.
No word yet on whether this will be animated or live action, or whether it will appeal to six years or twenty-seven year old white nerds with Asian wives.
