brian k. vaughan Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Here's a project you can file under "That might be pretty cool, I guess" although I can certainly think of a thousand things that could go wrong with it. The scoop-hunters at Collider chatted with producer-of-a-thousand-projects Joel Silver, who let slip about someone he'd like to revive: Swamp Thing. "I'm developing a picture now that I'd like to do ... I'll hopefully do Swamp Thing, which is a movie we've had for a long time. We think that would be great to do in 3D." Silver later amended the comment to a "maybe" so it's not time to yell or scream too much, as it is just a whisper at this point.

Forget the Wes Craven movie or its ill-advised sequel. If you hang around a comic shop long enough, you'll hear Swamp Thing discussed in hushed and revered tones. Once upon a time, he was merely a B-movie kind of hero, a plant man who fought evil and sought the murderers of his wife while trying to find a cure for his condition. Then DC handed him to Alan Moore with a "Yeah, do whatever you want, the book isn't selling" and Swamp Thing became a member of "the Green," a defender of the environment, and a member of the Parliament of Trees. In characteristic Moore style, the character became loaded with mythology, spiritualism, and history. Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Brian K. Vaughan have all expanded upon the character in the years since, and other DC characters were wrapped up in his leafy mythology, notably John Constantine, Poison Ivy, and Neil Gaiman's Black Orchid.

I spoke too soon. We all did. After the heartening news that Shia LaBeouf wasn't interested in being the last man on earth (to which every other guy on the planet yelled "Fool!!"), he's hastily amended his brush-off to Collider.

While he still feels the part of Yorick is too "Sam Witwicky" and stresses that he wants to do something that's "foreign," he's still very interested in Y: The Last Man. He just wants to wait a few years, and he'll have the time to get the Witwicky out of his system.

"I love Y! Y is my favorite comic book ... Brian K. Vaughn, Neil Gaiman, the guys who write the Criminal series, these are all my favorite, this is my favorite stuff to read. It's the stuff that I love. Y: The Last Man is my favorite comic book. It's also DJ Caruso's favorite comic book. We DO want to make it ... Absolutely, man! In fact, that's what's going on right now. Vaughn and Ellsworth and DJ are writing the script now. The script is not ready to be shot. DJ is making a different movie right now. He's making Jack and the Beanstalk. There's just other things going on with DJ and I wouldn't want to make the movie with anybody else because he loves it like I do. But I don't think Vaughn is trying to give it to anybody else. I think that it is something that's very realistic, it's just not in the pipe for the next year."

Well, I'm pleased that he's a fan of the series and who knows? Maybe a few years will see me warm up to him, and be delighted that he was the first pick for the last man.

Hey, now I can care about a Y: The Last Man movie again! (Harsh, but true -- I cannot tell a lie.) After months of being linked to D. J. Caruso's adaptation, Shia LaBeouf is apparently uninterested in taking the titular role.

LaBeouf told Wizard that it's too similar to his Transformers character. "You take Sam and you put a monkey on his shoulder. "I don't know if it's that big a differential. It seems like he's the ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation again. I'm not willing to make that movie currently, and may be too old to play the role by the time it does come around."

That's fine by me, although if there was a role written for LaBeouf, it was this one. Now, I'm only at the third volume (I never seem to have cash on me when I find the trades), so he may grow up and change, but on the outset Yorick is a rather immature and arrogant sort of guy. He's essentially Mutt Williams -- if Mutt was crossed with James "Sawyer" Ford's ability to drop pop culture references every two seconds. But to me, that sort of character needs a young actor who can really make him likeable under the slick smugness ... and LaBeouf isn't that guy for me. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is (though he's a little too far into his 20s), as is Daniel Radcliffe. There's a 20-something out there just dying to have a meaty, sci-fi story like this, and I will embrace him when he's cast ... unless its Zac Efron, in which case I will make a formal apology to LaBeouf.

[via Superhero Hype]

I have to tread ever-so-carefully on anything about Y: The Last Man because I'm so behind (I know, I know, but it was a really long series and trades are expensive). But to all of you who finished Brian K. Vaughan's series, UGO's interview with D.J. Caruso may wind you up.

According to Caruso, the script for the first film has been turned in to Warner Bros (which Vaughan collaborated with them on), and they're waiting for the green light. They're hoping to start shooting as early as winter of 2009, and the studio is aiming for a release date of late 2010. And, yes, they're targeting more than one film -- Caruso hopes it will be one of three, with the first movie ending when Yorick and his monkey, Ampersand, meet Dr Mann and are separated. (Yes! Dr. Mann will be in it! As will 711, though neither have any actors associated with them yet)

As for casting, they still want Shia LaBeouf to play the title role of Yorick (the only surviving male mammal on the planet earth). "I just think Shia would bring such a fun sort of humor to it. And at the same time, keep Yorick sort of grounded and real with the action sequences and all the other stuff," says Caruso.

And what of 355? Is Alicia Keyes playing her? Not yet. Caruso adds, "She's definitely someone to consider. I thought she did a really cool job in [Smoking Aces] ... I'd love to have sort of a (Robert) DeNiro/(Charles) Grodin relationship between 355 and (Yorick). Kind of a Midnight Run relationship ...I think Alicia's a great girl and everything but I have to make sure that she can handle the acting part of it."

So, readers, think they're on the right track? The script sounds promising, but I'm still not sold on LaBeouf. Who would be your ideal cast for this?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, DreamWorks has emerged the victor in a heated bidding war for Bryan K. Vaughan's Roundtable. It seems many studios were desperate to get their hands on his spec, and no wonder -- he is arguably the hottest writer on the market these days.

And I have to say, Roundtable sounds like one heck of an idea, and I am usually very dismissive of King Arthur revisionism. Vaughan's take will be a supernatural comedy along the lines of Ghostbusters. It revolves around Merlin trying to assemble a group of modern day knights to battle an ancient evil, only to discover that they are sorely lacking in the 21st century. The only heroes he can find are washed up athletes, cowardly scientists, or Academy Award winning actors.

The comparison to Ghostbusters has me all wound up -- and even at this stage, it sounds much better than the latest spin on Arthur, Galahad. A comedic take strikes me as far more daring than trying to cast Queen Guinevere as a villain. And who knows? It could be the heir apparent to Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail. (Or is that just blasphemy to even utter?)

Perhaps I am just blinded by the talent of Vaughan. But I don't think this man has made a single misstep yet. Even his episodes of LOST are terrific. So I'll turn it over to your unbiased thoughts: Is Roundtable too ridiculous to be believed, or so crazy that it just might work?

Earlier this month, Marvel Studios, basking in Iron Man's smashing success, announced its production schedule for the next few years: nothing in 2009, Iron Man 2 and Thor in 2010, Captain America and The Avengers in 2011. A couple of weeks later we got a scoop that two more Spider-Man sequels might be in the works, to be shot simultaneously. Now, Marvel has tweaked its earlier announcement with a rarity: the possibility that a comic written this century might get lavish big-screen treatment. Runaways, written by Lost writer and co-producer Brian K. Vaughan, is now in development with Vaughan himself writing the screenplay (another rarity). There's no director, cast or release date just yet.

The comic, which is available in a series of volumes like this one, follows six kids who discover that their parents are actually a cabal of super-villains. They run away and vow to fight, discovering their own inherited powers in the meantime. It's a killer concept, and the teen-oriented material could have very broad appeal. What's interesting, too, is that Joss Whedon recently took over the series from Vaughan; might he get involved in the movie sooner or later? I suppose it might depend on how his new show fares.