Adaptations (so they say)
Adam-Bin on Saturday, November 17, 2007 
So lately I have been going through information on some of the upcoming comic book adaptations. It all started with Garth Ennis’ Preacher on HBO. This, I already knew may be destined for disaster, but I thought I’d do a little more research to convince me otherwise. Like Kris said at the Greenville Comic-Con [Mark Steven Johnson is only the producer on it so how much damage can he cause?] Well, that made me feel better. At least until I looked up some real info on the Internet and found this from Newsarama:
That’s right. MSJ is writing the adaptation! And yes. That is the same guy responsible for both Daredevil, Ghost Rider, and the one they don’t mention because even compared to those to it sucks, Elektra. How does he keep getting work on comic movies? Well, I take partial responsibility for that. We wanted to review Ghost Rider for the show, so we went and saw it. Bad review or not (which it was) we still bought those damn tickets, which in turn boosted that crap writers numbers. I say here and now there will be no more of that. I expected a bad movie and I got a bad movie. Next time I expect a bad movie you will be hearing my review after it reaches HBO. But I digress.
* I’ve recently read that this next part of the rant is outdated, but it still pertains to the scope of the rant. Just the fact that it was attempted pisses me off. Word is there is no named director at the moment, but rumor is hoping for Robert Rodriguez. Now that I can get behind.
Okay so MSJ is “just” adapting it. Thank god he’s not directing it, right? We for director we have Howard Deutch. And you are right again. That is the guy who directed “Pretty in Pink.” Cause when I think a kick ass Garth Ennis adaptation I thin, “Get me the Guy who directed Pretty in Pink!” But don’t worry he has experience with action movies. He also directed The Whole 10 Yards. What do you mean you don’t consider that an action movie? OK. OK. He directed “The Great Outdoors” and that movie is great, but it sure as hell is no HBO series Preacher.
So there is my venting on the Preacher adaptation. Let me take a break preemptive bitching and say that Iron Man looks like it could be sweet ass. At least it looks exciting. You gotta give it that. And the suit looks awesome. The only complaint that I have so far is that they decided to use Black Sabbath’s Iron Man and the trailer music and I think that is just lame. Well that and I’m not a fan of the Super Hero in the Middle East thing, but let me feel that one out first before I really complain.
OK. Back to venting. This next one I don’t really know how I feel about and that is Mark Millar’s “WANTED.” It looks like it could be a really cool, exciting movie. Guns, violence, hot chicks. But, here’s the thing, according to the trailer and IMDB its not going to be WANTED. Its going to be a movie with the same name as the book. Its going to have the name of the main character and supporting female, but that looks to be about it. Oh, and he shoots a gun and his dad dies. But where are the super villains? Where is the professor? Where is that sweet WANTED plot? Sure the plot might be good, but it isn’t WANTED. Why not just do a movie loosely based on a stolen idea and call it Former Pussy With a Gun? Why adapt a book if you aren’t going to adapt a book? The title WANTED sure as hell isn’t going to bring people into the seats just because it is based on that book. Hell I read WANTED “again” last night and about10 pages into it I realized that I had already read it before and I remember loving it and I loved it again.
Anyway, its not that the movie looks bad, but it isn’t WANTED. I don’t care what they call it. WANTED has a good plot with great characters. I say use them damn it or don’t at all, but its too late for that. Oh well. Maybe someday they will have comic fans who can adapt and direct take these things so everyone can like them. I mean hell it worked for Spider-Man (sorta).
Dollar Bin
Don’t know why I got so many links from Rotten Tomatoes. I’ve never even been to that site before.
Reader Comments (6)
I see no way for Preacher to make people happy. Even if MSJ "loves" the source material as everyone on the project says they do I still think it is doomed. Both he and Affleck said they love Daredevil, hell Affleck has always read the comic and wanted to be Matt Murdock because of that and look how true to the source material that thing was. Maybe they'll shock us all.....
I have to say that when I saw the trailer for Wanted it kinda pissed me off. It is a good trailer, has a good site ( http://www.wantedmovie.com/ ) and a great cast. It is a movie I want to see. But it only looks to be about 50% from the comic and the rest just a movie they wanted to make instead. Not that I am a fan of ripping creators off, but if they just changed the name of the movie and all of the names of the characters they could have made it without having to pay Millar a dime. It'll probably be a good flick, it just won't be a movie about the book and that will be disappointing for any fan of the source material.
But I'm sure those fans will be a pretty small percentage compared to those who will go see something because it looks cool or have Morgan Freeman and Angie Jolie in it. Maybe as long as it isn't another Catwoman we should just be happy the creators are making bank and move on. Unless they start fucking up Batman again, THEN WE RIOT!!!!!!!
But that's the thing with me about WANTED. Why did they buy the rights for it or whatever? That's gonna bring what, 100 more people to the theater? And then its just going to piss those people off. At least if they kept it separate and just made a kick ass movie there would be no issue.
I was SO damn excited when I heard they were going to make a Wanted movie. I was excited when I heard Morgan Freeman was going to be in it. I was VERY excited when Angelina Jolie was announced...........and then I saw the trailer and lost all interest. I haven't been this disappointed by a trailer since The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and I fear this will follow in LOEG's footsteps.
Hey Adam,
Hats off to you in the Adaptations article.
I remember e-mailing you guys last week about Wanted and I'm glad you had the chance to comment on it.
As much as I hate to admit it I have to agree with your views on the Preacher and Wanted being produced as a film and HBO series. Rumor mill has it that Jesse Custer's main enemy will be none other than the sheriff! But that's is just a rumor so I can't back that up.
Preacher and Wanted being a disaster? Well , maybe. Being these movies and HBO series are still in post production I tend to take the view the way I would a losing strikeout baseball player. He has got to hit that one ball out of the park sooner or later! Sooner please!
As far as Adam's point as buying the rights for WANTED I'm hoping they did that for future releases. I'm think this might be just an introductory movie with future characters being added in the sequels. But I'm thinking way ahead here and way too hopeful. With Daredevil , Ghost Rider and Elektra under these producers and directors belts this thing could fall flat on its face as well.
Ever get the chance to read The Unfunnies?
Later
Paul
I still haven't seen the Unfunnies yet, but I have been looking into it. Every time I go to the shop I forget what it is called. I've recently come into some Amazon.com money so maybe I'll look into it as soon as I submit this comment.
As far as WANTED. I still think it might be good. I'm not going to go into it expecting the book. Just a fun shoot em up. That is not being written by the Ghost Rider guy, but instead the guys responsible for Fast and the Furious 2 and 3. So...
at least we know it will be fast paced. And the director is foreign so there's that.
I have to agree with Joel. The "Wanted" trailer stank of "LXG." Maybe next time Millar gets a comic optioned, he will make sure he gets some sort of creative direction on the film.