DC Comics has been taking a big back seat to Marvel in the recent past. Marvel has really hit a home run this summer with Iron Man and is poised to strike another blow with a rejuvenated Hulk franchise when The Incredible Hulk hits theaters tomorrow. DC isn’t sitting on their hands, though. They’ve just allowed Summit Entertainment to pick up the movie rights to WildStorm/DC Comics’ Red, which revolves around a former CIA agent.
The success of Marvel has apparently prompted DC to take a look at the way they’ve been adapting their properties. This project will mark the first time that a DC Comics title is leaving parent company Time Warner’s fold. DC will still remain an active participant in its adaptation, however.
Red, the three-issue comic series, was published in 2003. It tells the story of a former black-ops CIA agent now living a quiet life in retirement until the day a high-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him. With his secret identity compromised and his love interest in danger, the man must reassemble his old team to figure out who is after them. The comic book was written by Warren Ellis.
The adaptation is being written by brothers, Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber. Their adaptation is said to center around the idea of an older operative who’s set in his ways and must contend with younger and more fit agents as well as modern techniques and technology.
Hmmm, interesting…. not sure this will make as much money as it could with a mainstream DC Hero. If DC would pull their heads out of their arses and do one right like Marvel just showed us they could. I'd check this out though…thanks for pointing this out
I saw that on Ellis' site this morning. I'm much more interested in the adaptation of Ocean that's staying with Warner's, though.
Yeah, I've been meaning to do a write up on that one, but I keep forgetting.
I originally thought this had to do with the Red Hulk by the article title, and couldnt possibly figure out how DC could do that story… hehe, see it pays to read…
Reading is FUN-damental!
Warren Ellis has some more comments on this up at his blog. I've never read Red, so I was interested to see that it's a short piece that will need quite a bit of expanding in the adaptation.
Pretty cool that he expects that, and pretty cool that he explicates the solid reasons he and Cully Hamner went with Summit.
Wow, that might be the best explanation and best attitude I've ever heard from someone who's getting their work turned into a film.