GraphicNovel Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The Antarctic murder mystery Whiteout was a wipe-out this weekend, with almost universally negative reviews and a sixth-place debut at the box office. The movie's lousy -- here's Cinematical's scathing report, courtesy of Peter Hall -- but by most accounts the graphic novel it's based on, written by Greg Rucka and drawn by Steve Lieber, is pretty good. In conjunction with that, Portland film critic and cartoonist Mike Russell interviewed Lieber (who's also a Portlander -- lots of comic book people here) about the process of drawing the book and seeing it turned into a movie. Russell adapted this conversation into an edition of his "Culture Pulp" comic, which appears occasionally in the Oregonian newspaper and online at Russell's website.

As is often the case with bad movies, the behind-the-scenes stories for Whiteout are fascinating. Wolfgang Petersen (Air Force One, The Perfect Storm) expressed interest in making a film version of the graphic novel way back in 1999, and a script was commissioned. The project stalled; Reese Witherspoon got involved at some point as a potential star; another script was written; Joel Silver came aboard; and finally Dominic Sena, who had made Swordfish and Gone in 60 Seconds, campaigned for the privilege of directing it. Lieber says in the "Culture Pulp" interview that it was clear Sena was a real fan of the book. (I've seen the movie. I'd hate to see what someone who didn't like the book would have done with it.)

The most telling component of how misguided and laboriously mediocre Whiteout, the latest film from Gone in 60 Seconds director Dominic Sena, is can be found within the manner in which its heroine, United States Marshal Carrie Stetko, is introduced. The camera tracks the back of Stetko, played by the aesthetically immaculate Kate Beckinsale, through the winding corridors of her station at a research lab on Antarctica before she arrives at her personal quarters. Beckinsale then begins to slowly remove every layer of her clothing in preparation for a remarkably unnecessary shower sequence.

Now, before that begins to sound like a prospect that may make Whiteout worth your time or money, keep in mind how unabashedly pointless this extended scene is. It's not showing us how savage the conditions in Antarctica are, as Beckinsale looks like she just emerged from a week at a health spa. It's not showing us how mundane her job is, as the camera spends a fraction of the time on her badge as it does her dwindling layers of clothing. No, the only purpose of this sequence is to show off the sole allure this film has: Kate Beckinsale. And Sena is brazen in treating her like a commodity.

This shouldn't come as a surprise from the man who captained the film that paid Halle Berry a bonus $500,000 for her bare bosom (note: Beckinsale does not actually go the Berry/Swordfish route), but it is the first sign of how tonally incongruous the entirety of Whiteout is. Preceding this strip-down is an opening flashback to fifty-years prior in which a poorly rendered CGI Soviet plane crashes under mysterious circumstances during a poorly rendered CGI snow storm. Following the shower sequence is the establishment of a murder mystery so convoluted it comes as no surprise that four different people share a screenwriting credit on top of the author of the graphic novel upon which the 'first murderer in Antarctica premise' is based.

Now that comic book flicks are bringing in the big bucks (yes, really!), it seems like every title you could think of will be headed for the big screen sooner or later. The latest will be a feature film adaption of Repeat Offenders' upcoming graphic novel, American Reaper by Pat Mills and Clint Langley. The Hollywood Reporter announced today that the film rights were purchased by Xingu Films, which is Trudie Styler's (better known as Mrs. Gordon Sumner) shingle.

According to THR, "the story is set in a future where identity theft leads to victims having their minds erased and replaced by those of the elderly rich seeking a second youth or by criminals and terrorists with more sinister motives. A team of special agents, known as Reapers, are formed to track down and terminate those responsible." Mills will be adapting the story for the screen, and Xingu has already projected a budget of $50 million for the flick.

Styler will share producer credit with Alex Francis and Repeat Offender's Jeremy Davis will serve as executive producer. No cast has been attached, and Styler told THR, "It's rare for us to sign up to a project based on just a proposal, but the opportunity to work with proven talent like Pat and Clint from such an early stage, on a project with so much potential, was just too good to pass up." -- I'm sure the profit potential for comic book films had a little something to do with her enthusiasm for the project.

Now that studios are snapping up comic book projects at a furious pace, the important question still remains: How long will it take before audiences begin to suffer from comic book fatigue at the box office? Sound off below...

If he wasn't already damned by writing a Paul Walker dog movie, filmmaker David DiGilio sure is now. According to Variety, the writer of Eight Below has just signed a deal with DreamWorks to bring the graphic novel The Damned to the big screen. Mr. DiGilio will be making his directorial debut on the flick, which is about "a Los Angeles detective who discovers that a new gang with ties to the supernatural has infiltrated the city." Yep, it's a horror noir.

A little more digging (over at Oni Press) reveals a bit more of a plot synopsis: "Caught in the middle of a sinister web of murder, kidnapping, betrayal, and damnation, Eddie -- cursed and unable to rest -- can't escape the city's most ruthless warring demon gangs. This action-packed prohibition-era thriller combines the supernatural sensibilities of Joss Whedon with the stark reality of Miller's Crossing and The Godfather." Sounds all fine and good, but I'd have argue about the "reality" found in Miller's Crossing. It's my all-time favorite gangster movie, but realism ain't exactly what it was going for.

So congrats to Damned creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt on the big Hollywood sale. We'll all keep our fingers crossed on the movie version.

Now I understand why Thomas Jane didn't sign on for the Punisher sequel (no longer a sequel thanks to him). He's making history by making his feature directorial debut with a 3-D film titled The Dark Country. We already learned a month ago that the actor would be directing the film, for Sony's new Stage 6 label, but now Variety tells us the "noir thriller" will indeed be shot simultaneously in 3-D high definition and in 2-D high definition. The Dark Country isn't the first movie to be shot this way (though I'm unaware of the actual first), but the news nonetheless seems appropriate considering all the hype about this week's 3-D release of Beowulf. Since The Dark Country is currently shooting in New Mexico, it is likely to be released sometime next year, when it will still need to open on both 3-D and 2-D screens.

The movie, about a honeymoon turned nightmare, was written by Tab Murphy (Disney's Tarzan and Brother Bear) and it stars Jane, Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Chris Browning (3:10 to Yuma) and Lauren German (Hostel: Part II). The script had been reported as being adapted from a yet-to-be-published graphic novel by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), but as far as I can figure out, that information isn't true. Apparently there will be a graphic novel version, but it will be done by David Allcock, who also did the film's storyboards. For more information on the making of The Dark Country, you can turn to the production diary, which includes a whole ton of photos, some of which are rendered in 3-D.

OK, I get it. Eventually every single video game will be turned into a film, and I mean every video game. Game Daily: BIZ reports that the classic 1982 platform game Joust has been selected for the big-screen treatment. The film is being produced by CP Productions, which is comprised of Area 51 producer Christine Peters and Michael Cerenzie (Blackout). CP is dedicated to producing films for the "under-25 filmgoer", and their slate is mainly horror and sci-fi, along with some other classic video game adaptations. Joust centered on an ostrich-riding knight who would do battle with waves of bad guys on a series of platforms suspended over a pit of lava. It might have been simplistic, but is still considered one of the best by fans of classic arcade games. Released in 1982 by Williams Electronics for Midway Games, Joust has made its way to most video game platforms even as recently as for the Xbox 360.

Since there isn't all that much to work with in terms of story and character, Peters told Daily, "We took one element of the game and the brand itself and built a whole new world around it for the film". Matt Gotleib has already finished a script for the film and it is being described as "Gladiator meets Mad Max". The film would be set in a futuristic Las Vegas, but there is no word on whether our hero will still be astride an ostrich (or emu) this time around. CP is also planning on releasing a graphic novel by Steven Elliot Altman of DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics fame, that will be based on Gotleib's script. There is also the possibility of a new series of games that would build off his story. Paramount Pictures has been reported to have a first look deal with CP Productions for the film, so stay tuned for any updates that come our way.

[ Thanks to RottenTomatoes.com for the tip. ]

I love the idea that man's origins are with aliens. I love the concept in "non-fiction" books of UFO lore. I love it in my favorite books, Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. I even loved it in Mission to Mars, which was only redeemed for me by that too-expository reveal at the end. Hopefully, the next Indiana Jones movie will also be dealing with the idea. But if not, I can at least look forward to Ocean, an adaptation of Warren Ellis' DC/Wildstorm comic mini-series (now available as a graphic novel), which has just been optioned by producers Gianni Nunnari (300) and Nick Wechsler (The Fountain). I haven't read the title (I would have if I'd known about it -- I'm going to buy it asap), but Wechsler told Variety the comic is, "an alien thriller with a fresh take on the origin of man." From what I can tell, it's the usual, plausible (IMHO) notion that an alien race deposited its seed on Earth and we are the result.

According to the Wikipedia synopsis, Ocean is set 100 years in the future, when alien artifacts are discovered on Europa, the ice-covered moon of Jupiter. Because some of these artifacts appear to be weapons of mass destruction, an inspector from the UN is sent to investigate. Unfortunately, the alien race is still around, only cryogenically dormant, and of course thanks to an evil corporation (apparently modeled after Microsoft) manages to wake up the violent creatures. Sure, it sounds a lot like the plot of Alien, but there's obviously more political allegory in this that makes it more relevant to current events. I also think the relationship between humans and this ancient warlike race, which happen to be our ancestors, is pretty interesting -- especially with the idea that these grandfathers might return in the form of an alien invasion. Hopefully, the movie will retain all these layers of contemplation and we'll get a much-needed deep-thinking sci-fi tale.

By the looks of the new site for the vampire flick 30 Days of Night, this movie is going to be one nicely designed bloodbath. Sony just launched the fancy flash site for the film version of Steven Niles' graphic novel about a group of vampires descending on a small Alaskan town for a non-stop feeding frenzy.

Night is directed by David Slade (Hard Candy) and the script was written by Stuart Beattie (3:10 To Yuma). Josh Hartnett stars as a local sheriff trying to keep a group of locals alive, and Ben Foster (who gave us a behind the scenes look at the film, last February) is an ancient vampire that is none-too-pleased with the attention-drawing antics of his kind. The site looks like it was designed in the spirit of the original graphic novel, plus, along with the teaser clips and downloads, there is the promise of a nifty-looking shooter game.

There has already been talk of shorts set in the Night universe produced by Sam Raimi's Ghosthouse, more comic books, and don't forget the possibility of multiple sequels (Ryan got the chance to speak with Niles about the film, as well as female lead Melissa George). So, combined with the solid teaser trailer Scott told us about last month, it's looking like this graphic novel has the potential to spawn a whole new horror franchise. The film is also expected to get a little extra buzz with the cast, along with Slade and Raimi, answering questions about the film for a ComicCon panel this weekend -- stay tuned for that report. 30 Days of Night hits theaters October 19th.

It's a sad fact that there are just way more crappy vampire movies out there than good ones, but the source material for 30 Days of Night is a little above the quality of Dracula 2000, so we are already off to a good start. Cinema Blend has the first look at the teaser poster for the new vampire flick, from Sam Raimi's company. The film is based on the graphic novels of the same name by Steve Niles, and the story centers on a small Alaskan town that is overrun with vampires who have descended on the town to take advantage of the lack of sunlight -- a huge selling point that ensures 30 days of uninterrupted feeding. Leading the pack of humans trying to survive is Josh Hartnett as the local sheriff and Danny Huston (who provided a bit of a sneak-peek last February) as Marlow a.k.a. the bad guy. Melissa George also stars, and Ryan had a chance to discuss the film with her during an interview last fall -- you can read that here.

The film is directed by David Slade and Raimi's Ghost House Pictures is producing in partnership with Columbia Pictures. As for Raimi, he's not at a loss for work despite the big question mark still hanging over the Spiderman franchise. He has already picked up an as-yet-untitled fantasy project from the writers of Freddy vs. Jason, and he is also considering a prequel to 30 Days for his Ghost House web site. 30 Days of Night is set for release on October 19th, just in time for Halloween.