Uber-successful creative genius Todd McFarlane has some really great news for all you Spawn fans out there. IESB caught up with McFarlane at the premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverinein Tempe Arizona, and he spilled the beans about 5 very serious offers to bring his baby to the big screen. That’s right, 5 offers! They range from big time, big budget F/X extravaganzas to low budget, small scale film projects. McFarlane would surely make more money if he accepted one of the big budget offers, but he’s shown in the past that he’s not in this business for money. Obviously, he want’s what’s best for his character. That’s why right now, he is leaning toward the smaller scale film project, which he would write and direct. His idea for the movie is simple: Make a movie that his teenage daughters would actually go see with a date. Think The Departed with a creepy thing lurking in the shadows. Here’s an except of what he had to say, the rest of which could be found over at the IESB:
“It’s not a ‘comic book movie,’ it’s just a scary movie, a creepy movie. Everything’s real except for one element, which happens to be the character we know as Spawn. So it’s notgoing to be supervillain vs superhero or any of that stuff, it’s just going to be a ‘tight’ movie.”
Now, I’m a massive comic book fan, as I’m sure you all know by now. I’ve read well over 150 Spawn comics, so I know a bit about the character. I’ve also heard just about every idea that’s been tossed out there for a new Spawn flick. McFarlane’s idea now is very similar to the rumored project from a couple years ago that was essentially a Sam and Twitch film, with Spawn serving as a secondary, in the shadows type character. I really don’t want that to be the fate of the next Spawn film. I loved Sam and Twitch, and I would watch a spin-off film featuring those characters, should one ever get made. But I just don’t want to see a character with a major fan following like Spawn be relegated to the shadows in his own freaking movie! I don’t necessarily want to see a big budget extravaganza, but I do want to see Spawn throw down with some really bad dudes. I’m even okay with the next film passing on Clown/Violator, and going with a lesser known villain. The important thing here to consider is Todd McFarlane’s involvement in the project. If the big budget film happened, McFarlane would only be a producer. He would not have complete control over his character. I’m sure Spawn fans remember what happened with the last film, when McFarlane didn’t exactly get to see what he wanted to see. The most important thing here is McFarlane’s involvement in the project. He should have complete control over the character, and quite frankly, even though he doesn’t have directorial experience, he is the only man for the job. So I’ll settle for a small budget Spawn, as long as the genius behind the character gets to do it his way. Whatever happens, you can bet this isn’t the last you’ll hear about this project.