With Deadpool riding high on the crest of box office glory it found this past weekend, other studios are more than likely going to feel emboldened to start venturing into R-rated superhero flicks themselves. So naturally, Todd McFarlane's Spawn seems to be back in play, and his new concept for the hellbound hero promises an exciting ride ahead.
This news comes on the heels of Todd McFarlane's announcement that his first draft for the Spawn reboot has been officially completed, which is cause enough to celebrate. But as you'll see in the following statement, from an exclusive interview with ComicBook.com, McFarlane outlined his concept for how his iconic character will interact with the world as follows:
I’d put it more into the horror/suspense/supernatural genre. If you take the movie The Departed meets Paranormal Activity, something like that…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. 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 specter, the ghost.
Basically, what Todd McFarlane is proposing with his new film adaptation of Spawn isn't a film that's focused on the origins, or even the actions of his famous character. Instead, he wants to focus on how Spawn affects the world at large. So instead of giving the bad assed avenging angel a wife and family to pine over, it sounds like we'll see the world of the organized crime being torn apart by the ever encroaching shadows surrounding them. It's a novel approach, and it tracks well with a previous proposal the director had for a sequel to the previous film starring Michael Jai White. Though McFarlane's refreshed approach serves another purpose close to his own heart: he wants to direct the film himself.
Further along in the report is the mention that the first draft of Spawn is about to undergo the editing process, so as to be a lean and mean product that Todd McFarlane can sell around Hollywood. With a budget and scope as focused as possible, McFarlane has his own interests in mind as he hopes to be able to convince whomever invests in the picture to let him head up the gamble himself. Considering how hard the original 1997 film adaptation stumbled, it seems like a safe, Deadpool style bet to put Spawn back in the hands of its passionate creator.
The era of getting it right the second time around is upon us, and with Deadpool opening doors for both reviving, and maturing, comic properties that were once slighted by a PG-13 only mindset, a Spawn film is a natural next step. The fact that Todd McFarlane wants to give his fans the "true believer" version of his creation is a decision that should make for an easy yes, especially if the price is right. We'll see if fortune breaks in his favor, especially if Deadpool continues to keep the head of steam its built up this past weekend.
In the meantime, a vote for Deadpool is a vote for an R-rated Spawn, as well as R-rated comic films everywhere. So get out and vote with your wallet as many times as you can.
