Todd McFarlane Has Some More Spawn Reboot News

The man behind the hugely popular "Spawn" comic gives us some more info on his upcoming reboot...

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By Mark "RorMachine" Cassidy - 5/8/2009
Comic book fans know Spawn as a badass anti-hero who mixed religion and superheroism into a powerful, immensely popular mix that re-wrote the graphic novel template in the early ’90s. Movie fans, unfortunately, remember the character as the star of a 1997 suckfest that has been largely forgotten. Now, creator Todd McFarlane is finalizing plans to bring the character some respect on the big-screen with a new movie.

“With Spawn, I have five legitimate offers sitting on the table,” the writer/artist/entrepreneur revealed to MTV News recently. “Ever since ‘Iron Man,’ they’ve been phoning every day.”

At this point, McFarlane explained, he’s trying to decide between two options: “If I go with the lower-budget movie, they’ll let me direct it. And if I go bigger, than I sit in the producer’s chair; if the budget’s too big, they’re not going to give me the chance at [directing] it. So I’m trying to decide whether I want to go big production, bigger money, bigger marketing — or just do something that’s a little bit smaller, more rock ‘n’ roll, and the way I’ve had it in my brain for the last five years.”

If McFarlane does direct the film, it will be his cinematic debut behind the camera.

So, what exactly is floating around inside McFarlane’s brain? A dark, realistic crime flick styled after several classic films — and most certainly not starring John Leguizamo as an obese, retarded clown. “The thing I’ve had in my head for a long time isn’t a big comic-book movie,” he explained. “Everything’s real; it’s like ‘The Departed,’ ‘L.A. Confidential’ or something like that — and there’s only one thing out of the ordinary in the story I’ve written, which is the thing people know as Spawn. And only a few people see it.”

“To me, it’s more along the lines of ‘Jaws,’ where you didn’t see [the shark] for half the movie, and then you caught glimpses of him,” McFarlane said of Spawn, the only supernatural character in his vision. “Jaws was somewhat fantastic in that movie, and to keep it low-budget I can’t have spaceships and super-villains and all that stuff.”

“You’re not going to get an [origin story] with a rubber costume,” McFarlane explained of Spawn’s new look. “As a matter-of-fact, you’ll never see Spawn in his full regalia, because to me, he’s more of a sentinel, like a living shadow. I’ve shown the artwork [to potential investors] and he’s all black; he doesn’t look exactly like what people have seen in the comic book.”

Well, im sorry to say but as a fan of the comic and the brilliant HBO series i think Mcfarlanes reboot idea sounds, well, SHIT! What do yal make of it?
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dellamorte1872 - 5/8/2009, 5:06 PM
McFARELENE'S idea sounds like shit to me, sorry!
EvilEd2000 - 5/8/2009, 5:40 PM
yup sounds shit, def go bigger budget. 'you'll never see spawn in his full regalia', why not? looks pretty cool
OriginalPhysco - 5/8/2009, 6:54 PM
Um... ok
DegenX - 5/8/2009, 7:23 PM
Spawn = shit period, don't bother with another movie.
Montross - 5/8/2009, 7:25 PM
As a fellow writer/ artist, I empathize with McFarlane's desire to control how his own creation is depicted on screen. I support his right to do whatever the hell he want to do with what he created.

Side note- I have the HBO series on DVD and yes it is awesome.
RorMachine - 5/8/2009, 7:38 PM
Sure, he has the right to do whatever he wants with his own creation. He could have Spawn become a Ballet dancer that moonlights as a private investigator that tracks down lost childrens pets..doesnt mean its a good idea!

What made Spawn great for me was all of the mythology surrounding the characters, the eternal battle of light and darkness, heaven, hell, demons. I guess its been done to death now, but the comics still seem fresh, because of the great characters..but he wants to make it "real"??..Obviously trying to take a page from TDK. He can do whatever he likes, but that vision he described will not be Spawn.
MetalHead - 5/8/2009, 7:41 PM
Yeah, that does sound AWFUL! I'm all for people trying something different, but here's the thing: that's SO different that it WON'T BE SPAWN ANYMORE! Why not just do that movie and call the character something else if you want to do it so badly? Otherwise make it the right F'ing way.

I'd like to point out again that I'm all for people trying something different and I hate to sound so negative when someone suggests something like this, but it really does sound horrible. And comparing it to "Jaws" is stupid because the difference is that Jaws was a F'ing shark who couldn't carry a movie if he was on the screen for 70+ minutes, not an already-established comic book anti-hero with a die-hard fanbase and hardcore following.

Sorry Todd, I'm usually a big fan of your stuff but this sounds like garbage to me.
TheShakeBake - 5/8/2009, 7:41 PM
yea shitastic

See Ya, The ShakeBake
OriginalPhysco - 5/8/2009, 7:41 PM
The Dahaka from Prince of Persia worrior within
RorMachine - 5/8/2009, 7:56 PM
I wouldnt mind if he made it a bit more realistic or whatever, i mean he seems keen to make it sort of Noirish and thats fine..but he says Spawn will be the only supernatural element and not even show up till half way through the movie! That means no Clown, no Violator, no Angela..just a bunch of detectives chasing a shadow around
sportstar101 - 5/8/2009, 7:57 PM
that is a terrible idea someone needs to twitter him and tell him that brutal idea sounds like it is a straight to dvd movie
MetalHead - 5/8/2009, 7:59 PM
No, it's a "straight back to vendor cause retail stores can't sell any copies, even in the WalMart $5 bin" DVD.
stormy1015 - 5/8/2009, 8:30 PM
Grrrrrreat.... Spawn is going to be similar to Galactus from FF2
Shadowelfz - 5/8/2009, 8:57 PM
So he wants to make Spawn like Batman? More of a myth than a hero? Clad in all black with no supernatural elements? Someone who lurks in the shadows, investigates a crime, jumps out and busts some skulls, then disappears into the night? Sorry, that doesnt sound like spawn at all. That sounds like Batman.

Man, this idea sounds terrible. There's nothing worse than watching an artist sabatoge their own creation.
Apoc4all - 5/8/2009, 9:04 PM
I think that the jaws idea is a good concept, but there should be no change to the look of spawn. Okay, go ahead and play the suspense card with the character, and keep him in the shadows through most of the movie, but at the very end, just like jaws, you show him full force in all his glory (or unglory) and give a good show of some of his powers, just like the shark in jaws.
l0rdleg0las - 5/8/2009, 9:12 PM
Give me a break. Go with the big budget, sit in the producers chair and just make sure it doesn't turn into the 1997 abomination.
Not going to show Spawn is just retarded in a Spawn movie.
GUNSMITH - 5/8/2009, 9:18 PM
THE REASON THEY CALL YOU EVERY DAY IS BECAUSE THE WANT IT BIG YOU DOPE.DONT BE LIKE M KNIGHT SHAMALAMA DOO DOO..YOUVE NEVER DIRECTED BEFORE DONT START STICK TO COMICS AND TOYS..DONT DO IT..LOOK AT WHAT WONDERS GOYER MADE WHEN HE DIRECTED BLADE 3 AND NOT WROTE IT AND LEFT IT IN THE HANDS OF A GOOD DIRECTOR TO INTERPET HIS VISION...HOW ABOUT MILLER'S DEBUT? THE SPIRIT...EVERYONE WILL TELL YOU IT WASNT THAT GREAT BUT AS A WRITER MILLERS AWSOME..WE WANT THE BIG BUDGET COSTUME AND MAKE UP STUFF, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING OF? THIS IS YOUR SECOND CHANCE, YOU CREATED IT AND YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR FANS WANNA SEE? YOUR JOKING.
GUNSMITH - 5/8/2009, 9:20 PM
IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF BUGS BUNNY..".WHAT A MAROON."
brnxnatural - 5/8/2009, 9:22 PM
I think they should go bigger budget and not let Todd direct the movie at all cause his ideas are really stupid to be honest. I think they should make Spawn like the comic kinda like Iron Man in a way.
Tiger73 - 5/8/2009, 9:34 PM
Hmmm...yeah "Shit" sounds about right!Maybe he should direct a "Sam and Twitch" movie with that idea floating around in his head.Now that storyline would work great with those characters seeing as to how they are detectives.And as far as the first shitfest The Clown was the only good part,even if John Leguizamo was behind the makeup.
Shadowelfz - 5/8/2009, 9:37 PM
Gunsmith summed it up best... writing and directing are two different mediums, and just because you are good at one doesnt mean you will be good at another. There is a world of difference between coming up with what a character says and making sure they say it the way you want. It may not seem like so, but there is.
BillyBlack - 5/8/2009, 9:59 PM
This sounds terrible.

The HBO series was absolutely off the dial. He should just do 3 more seasons of that with Keith David. HBO's hard up for a hit. This bullshit rubber mask concept is idiotic.
Betty - 5/8/2009, 10:51 PM
I want to say go for it Mr Mcfarland. It'll be damn tricky and he better have a zinger of a script. I think he should stay out of the director's chair but have some heavy influence.

If the character is so unlike the spawn that we all know, why not just make something else. We'll still give it a chance. He does have positive notoriety.
Minotauro - 5/8/2009, 11:00 PM
Question? ..How come it has to be a reboot?.."1997 suckfest?" Maybe for the people who didn't bother but, it was pretty well done. I say McFarlane needs to go low-budget..cause it worked for this company and looks like a big budget project!..

Macksimus - 5/8/2009, 11:19 PM
I enjoyed 1997's "suckfest."

Now back to the point; WTF is wrong with Mcfarlane???

I WANT Spawn in his armor, I want demons, monsters, and all kinds of ther hellish nightmarish creatures; I want all of that stuff that made Spawn a great comic. If I want to see The Departed, then I will watch the damn Departed.

Why f*** with the ingredients that made Spawn great???
Don't do that.

Make a movie that is true to the Spawn comics.
Macksimus - 5/8/2009, 11:25 PM
@Minotauro

Damn, that Ninja movie looks sweet.

Has a Batman feel to it...I like it.
tjdr59 - 5/8/2009, 11:32 PM
@Minotauro wtf is that an American Ninja remake? yikes, looks like were going to have to put up with more white ninjas.
DragonLord - 5/8/2009, 11:53 PM
i like the 1997 version. ok, it was a bit, um , shabby, but what the f**k. yeah, he can do with his creation what he wants, but what does he get of it if nobody wants to see it?

i sure won't see it if its like he described...
TheDurkinKnight - 5/9/2009, 12:59 AM
I think it sounds pretty atrocious. I mean, no supervillians means basically that this guy is gonna be taking on mere mortals only. So it'll be Punisher with hellpower? I think McFarlane's full of shit, his story sounds bogus. MY THEORY is this: No MAJOR movie company wants any part of the property because it's not marketable to a broad audience, so he will end up going with some cheapo company and HIS excuse is that it's because he wants to direct and as a result will be forced to work with a smaller budget.
nonherotype - 5/9/2009, 1:40 AM
Spawn was one of the first books I ever started reading when I got into comics. I loved the movie when it came out, but I also loved Batman & Robin when that came out too. Years later I feel very different about the series and the movie. This version of Spawn Todd is talking about sounds like a fine story, but I don't think it would be a good flick because fans will want a more accurate version of the character on screen. However what is the point in watching a movie you already know the ending to? Todd should wait for the right deal, a deal that will please everyone.

One more thing, the departed is a movie i love, and we get that story telling with Sam and Twitch but it's the B story, not the A story. If he needs it that bad then he should just make a Sam and Twitch flick.
LEEE777 - 5/9/2009, 3:11 AM
WHY CANT WE JUST HAVE SPAWN 2!!!!! Heh heh im joking, though the suit in it was Awesome and i sill love the VIOLATOR/CLOWN baby!!! He's been talking this for years n years,,, SPAWN in the shadows, unfortantly it would be good but people know what SPAWN is from the movie!!! Its like having FLIPPER before JAWS (as the same film ofcourse) lmao!!!

IF an i mean with a big 'IF' we don't get all that ORIGIN crap an have a few FLASHBACKS in it it will work but if we go for another ORIGIN it will suck!!! Oh yeah, SPAWN MIGHT BE A SUCKFEST BUT ITS TWICE THE MOVIE THAT WOLVERINE IS! ; ) NUFF SAID ... Opps! : D
cadairjr05 - 5/9/2009, 3:27 AM
bad idea

a reboot would be nice, with a better story element. Spawn as just a shadow, and never fully seen would be a movie about Sam and Twitch. I think this time they should be in it, and be major characters, but i think there has to be a mix of the supernatural element with Sam and Twitch (LIKE THE GRAPHIC NOVEL). The appearances of Spawn would seem bizarre and add a dark overtone, mystery, and tension between the main characters.

As an artist myself, I understand how important it is to have control over your own creation. But he's trying to go in a different direction than his original story. The original worked great. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
LEEE777 - 5/9/2009, 3:33 AM
Your right @ cadairjr05 @ 'If it ain't broke don't fix it'! ... Nice Avatar by the way!
GUNSMITH - 5/9/2009, 5:21 AM
ACTUALLY IF HE SOLD THE RIGHTS TO FOX THEY WOULD DO IT DIFFERENTLLY WICH WOULD ACTUALLY WORK OUT, THE WAY MICKEY IS THINKING OF REDOING IT..HAVE YOU SEEN HIS FIRST WRITING WORK IN SPIDERMAN COMICS? WHAT A LAUGHABLE THING, IVE NEVER SEEN THE WORD "ADVANTAGEOUS" USED SO MANY TIMES...
RorMachine - 5/9/2009, 6:48 AM
Leee now i know your joking! Spawn makes Wolverine look like Citizen frakking Kane! It was one of the worst movies ever made in any genre..a travesty as wards said.. I dare you to try to find one positive review of that movie, anywhere on the net. At the very least, Wolverine had 2 great performances in Jackman and Schrieber..if you can even admit that much then it already has 2 up on Spawn!
Joker1Zero - 5/9/2009, 10:02 AM
I don't like this idea
MetalHead - 5/9/2009, 10:14 AM
One thing that I'm sick of is people using the excuse "why do it so accurate to the comics cause then you already know what happens?" And not just about this movie, but about comic book adaptations in general. Here's why: is even ONE person gonna tell me that they actually thought that Spider-Man was gonna die while they were watching the movie since "Spider-Man 3" was inaccurate to the comic? NO F'ing WAY! I've said it before, if someone wants to make a movie with comic book characters that has an all-original story which DOESN'T contradict the comics or alter origins and storylines then I'm fine with it. But what I can't stand is the re-writing of the characters and stories that we have known and loved for years.
Betty - 5/9/2009, 11:14 AM
The 80's are back with Ninja! Woooo! Bring on the gratuitous violence and titties! Oh wait, this was made recently, so much for nudity.

I'll say it again. If its going to be so different, make something new.
icebergslick - 5/9/2009, 12:08 PM
This will suck! Stick to action figures if you aren't going to show us Spawn at all. Why do you think we go to the movies in the first place???? DAYUM!
Osiris - 5/9/2009, 12:50 PM
Minotauro that movie looks pretty good and low budget works for a movie with very little SFX like that one, but when you try to do it with something like Spawn you would end up with something like DB:E.
LEEE777 - 5/9/2009, 1:00 PM
RORSCH @ Okay, i was a tad mean there lol heh heh! But SPAWN is like 12 years old, OMG 12 years wtf!!! I really think WATCHMEN has spoiled and ruined it for me, coz that movie in my book was near perfect an blew me away!!! An now im watching for just the smallest things, but ya gotta be honest, there was alot in ol' WOLVIE an more so! But it does have 2 up on SPAWN! Your right!!! JACKMAN & SCHRIEBER were born for their roles and played them perfectly! Infact most of the actors fitted the parts, but it wasn't them that bothered me about the movie lol! I still like CLOWN in SPAWN though, he was great!
Anyway, im hoping for a fantastic WOLVIE 2 and SPAWN! Then we all win!!!

METALHEAD @ Im with you 100% man!!! You've just hit the nail right on the head!!! I just wish others could see it! ; )
Bandrews1 - 5/9/2009, 1:23 PM
Yeah Mcfarlane's vision does sound like shit, first off a movie like Spawn shouldn't be low budget, it should be a big budget blockbuster flick, and McFarlane shouldn't get the chance to direct cause we all saw Frank Miller's first time as a solo director.
ThunderCougarFalconBird - 5/9/2009, 2:54 PM
The 1st was earlier than '97 wasn't it? I would have guessed '94/'95. I'll trust your sources though Ror!

The 1st was a bit shit but the idea behind it was better than this new idea.
LEEE777 - 5/9/2009, 3:04 PM
No HOWLETT@ It was 97 when BATMAN & ROBIN came out lol!!! But then the excellent MEN IN BLACK came out too that year so it wasn't all bad! An BLADE (even better) right after! Damn BATMAN & ROBIN! : (
Minotauro - 5/9/2009, 3:08 PM
@ Osiris - Yeah!...you're probably right about it turning out like DB:E.. Fox's always [frick]ing things up!..
ThunderCougarFalconBird - 5/9/2009, 3:19 PM
LEEE777 - You mentioned the B&R thing! GET OUT! YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE!!!!
LEEE777 - 5/9/2009, 5:21 PM
Heh heh heh okay! ; )
greenlanternsector2814 - 5/9/2009, 7:09 PM
looks like McFarlane has another bad Spawn movie already in the can...unless of course he listens to fans instead of the ideas in his head.
Betty - 5/9/2009, 9:41 PM
If he listens to the fans he'll probably shoot himself.
spencemoney - 5/9/2009, 9:42 PM
Good Lord. I hope this man is jerkin our gerkins. Spawn like Jaws? Really? REALLY? I'm not gonna see this if it's Jaws (what number of sequels would we be on now? Haha) 27: Jaws reincarnated as a guy who can use Hellpower, still using his tactics of near invisibility by hiding in the waters that are the shadows of a big city, Spaws will right the wrongs of the underground with merciless violence while at the same time meticulously picking off sub characters in a form of higher intelligence not available to him naturally, therefore making it interesting. IN 3-D!!!!

God, I'd rather play where's the peanut butter with John Goodman. Haha.
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