In 1997, the superhero genre was still in the earliest stages of its infancy. Characters like Spawn could make their way to the silver screen, but proper adaptations were a rarity. Two decades later, we will finally get the Spawn movie that we have always clamored for, and according to Spawn writer Todd McFarlane, it will be incredibly different from the original movie. McFarlane explained:
We're getting a second movie. And it's not gonna be a continuation, it's not gonna be a sequel, it's not gonna be any of that. Scrap the first movie it was twenty years ago. It's gonna be a dark, R-rated, scary, badass sort of script that's tight. And it's not a nice, polite, PG-13 with ray guns and and headquarters.... You're never going to see a dude in a rubber suit....This is going to be my Jaws shark.
During a recent interview on Geeking Out (Via Comicbook.com) Spawn writer Todd McFarlane opened up regarding the tone and style of the upcoming Spawn movie. Apparently we should ignore everything from the original Spawn from 1997, because Spawn 2 will take the franchise in a very different direction. Gone are the super villains and dastardly plots of the first film. Instead we will be treated to a movie that feels as realistic as possible -- with the exception of Spawn himself. He's not a superhero in any traditional sense. He's a mysterious force lurking in the shadows; the audience just happens to know who he is and what he's capable of. McFarlane himself likened his script to The Exorcist in the sense that the movie feels real and raw, but it features a singular supernatural entity in the form of Spawn.
Of course, it's still worth noting that while this is very much a deviation from the original Spawn movie, it shows that the film franchise is endeavoring to move much closer to the actual source material. Although the first Spawn movie (which starred Michael Jai White) has become reviled for its campiness (although some would argue that such campiness gives it a distinct B-movie charm), the comic books that the character hails from are typically known for their graphic, unrelenting content and overwhelming levels of grit. If this is the direction that Spawn 2 is heading, then it sounds as though true Spawn fans can rest easy knowing that their character will finally come into his own.
With that in mind, this seems to mean that the new Spawn movie won't feature the titular anti-hero facing off against John Leguizamo demons and giant monsters. Don't expect any scenes like this in the upcoming film:
Earlier this year it was reported that McFarlane had already completed substantial work on a script for the Spawn movie, so there's clearly an existing story just waiting to be told. The guy knows Spawn inside and out, so we cannot even begin to express our excitement for the character to finally debut in the modern age of superhero movies.
Cinema Blend will bring you any and all relevant details related to the upcoming Spawn movie as more information becomes available to us. There's currently no confirmed release date for the film, but we will continue to keep our fingers crossed that it materializes sooner rather than later. Stay tuned for more details!
