David Cronenberg to film John Wagner comic!

[Andy Diggle]

From icv2:

Cronenberg to Film Graphic Novel 'A History of Violence'
February 16, 2004


Variety is reporting that director David Cronenberg (Scanners, Videodrome, Dead Zone, The Fly, Dead Ringers) will direct an adaptation of A History of Violence for New Line Cinema.  Judge Dredd creator John Wagner wrote the A History of Violence graphic novel, which was the first volume published by DC in its Paradox Graphic Mystery line edited by Andrew Helfer.  The second Paradox Graphic Mystery was Max Allan Collins' Road to Perdition.  The film version of the Road to Perdition earned over $100 million at the box office and the Road to Perdition graphic novel sold far more copies in the wake of the film's release than it did during its largely unnoticed first publication.
 
A History of Violence feature film could produce the same effect, and with a script in hand and a director on board, this project looks like it will be able to escape "development" hell and find its way to the silver screen.   Screenwriter Josh Olson (Three Gun Blues) has been working on the project since last March (see "A History of Violence Gets a Writer").  The hiring of a director indicates that the screenplay is "a go" and the fact that Cronenberg has signed on is a definite plus.  He will bring a piercing intelligence and focused intensity to the project that should help it immensely.  John Wagner is one of the most underrated writers in comics and he deserves some success and acknowledgement on the silver screen.  After the Judge Dredd film fiasco Hollywood definitely owes him one.

Link: http://icv2.com/articles/home/4270.html" target="_blank">Link to original story at icv2

[Oddboy]

This is the 3rd thread on the subject Andy, but it's still sounds like great news!

[Jared Katooie]

Wow. That is good news! With Cronenberg on board a caertain level of quality is assured. Thanks for the info Andy, I knew nothing about this!

[paulvonscott]

I doubt it'll make a $100 million with Chonenberg directign and no tom hanks though.  Might be a better movie however.

I'd actually forgotten about the Dredd Movie.

Moore 2 (1 crap, 1 average) - Wagner 2 (1 crap, 1 to be seen)

[Smiley]

Not counting the TV movie of The Bogie Man?

Anyway, third time's the charm.

[GordonR]

>>Moore 2 (1 crap, 1 average) - Wagner 2 (1 crap, 1 to be seen)

What Moore film are you counting as merely average, paul?

Surely to god you can't mean LoEG?  Yikes!

[Quirkafleeg]

I assume he means From Hell... which is dipping well below average IMHO even if you don't compare it to its genius source

[paulvonscott]

Ah yes, Bogie Man, I'll count that.

Wagner 3 (2 crap, 1 to be seen), Moore 2 )1 crap, one average)

I thought From Hell was an average movie, and LOEG was utter crap Gordon, as you probably well knew you troublemaker!

I should also say that all of the source material for those projects was of cours great, and it's the filmamkers who buggered it up.

[Art]

"In the future, the world sucks."

Link: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/JudgeDredd-1062368/" target="_blank">Judge Dredd

[Art]

IO'd move for From Hell to be counted as "crap". I feel I?d sufficiently braced myself for it being wildly divergent from the source material, but it still bored the ass off of me and basicly sucked as a generic ripper movie.

[paulvonscott]

I dunno, I can't think of anythign I active;y disliked about From Hell, it was just dull.

[Slippery PD]

It was a fairly standard ripper movie, but some of the accents were awful..... that would be my only gripe.....

Yer Slips

[Oddboy]

Nice quote from that Dredd review:

"If you want to read a comic book, save the price of the movie ticket and buy a real one."

[GordonR]

You're probably right there.  I'd say it was low average, marching briskly towards crap.

So, while I can remember every horrible minute of real crap like LoEG and XXX, I find I can barely remember anything at all about From Hell, other than Johnny Depp's Cockney accent.

Yeah, so dull it is then.

[Slippery PD]

Thats major gripe, the rest of the film is, as everyone else has stated, pretty boring...

Yer Slips