Jump to content
Hondo's Bar

Comic Series & HBO/Showtime/etc


Recommended Posts

1236774856.jpg

 

so, youse guys were all talkin a few ideas up in the watchmen thread, thought id make a thread for it. Mind you, none of these would work as episodic series; theyd need to be limited/finite, with source material guiding them along so they dont end up like Blade or something. I'm not interested in creating more Smallvilles here.

 

my votes:

 

The Walking Dead - Prolly the biggest no-brainer (see what i did there?!) on the list; zombie films/horror are still huge these days, and well written ones are few & far between. This cult survival horror book is consistently one of the best out, month-to-month, in my opinion, and its been over 4 years going with no end in sight.

Comparatively, it could be done on the cheap, too. and LL's right, Eckhart would be so awesome as Rick.

 

Preacher - I cant think of anything better than what Johnson (?) had lined up with a 66 episode HBO series. we can always go back to our nearly-10-year-old discussion of casting here, though.

 

Gotham Central - Fuck birds of prey; this shit would so work, and it woudlnt even need an access channel - FX, etc would work just fine, and in the wake of Dark Knight, itd be golden. You're playing with bat-mythology and a bit of CSI; the formula's already there on network TV, just waiting to be picked up, my opinion.

 

Daredevil - Yeah, the movie was what it was. But street level vigilantes (Moon Knight, Punisher etc) could so get an awesome limited series, and this one, especially from Bendis' work right up to Brubaker's current shit, is already written in a very cinematic and self-contained style. A good cast opening this with Miller's "Born Again" and leading into Bendis' Fall of the Kingpin/King of Hell's Kitchen shit could transfer over so, so easily, and it woudlnt cost much in effects either. I think HBO has more than proven its ability to get an amazing cast out of people you've never heard of; no reason to blow money on big names that just fit the roles awkwardly anyway.

 

what do you think? feel free to add yours to the list, or casting call these ones!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1236774856.jpg

 

Daredevil - Yeah, the movie was what it was. But street level vigilantes (Moon Knight, Punisher etc) could so get an awesome limited series, and this one, especially from Bendis' work right up to Brubaker's current shit, is already written in a very cinematic and self-contained style. A good cast opening this with Miller's "Born Again" and leading into Bendis' Fall of the Kingpin/King of Hell's Kitchen shit could transfer over so, so easily, and it woudlnt cost much in effects either. I think HBO has more than proven its ability to get an amazing cast out of people you've never heard of; no reason to blow money on big names that just fit the roles awkwardly anyway.

 

This would go atrociously, TV budgets never allow for special effect that looks un-shitty and the Daredevil costume would either look horrible or be one of those pleather nightmares they make characters on Smallville wear. At best we'd be looking at something the quality of Blade: The Series here. I think even a Punisher series would jump the shark in the first episode.

 

Hitman - I've long thought about this and the only acceptable capicty I've ever been able to fathom Garth Ennis' Hitman would be as an M rated animated tv show done in a simplified version of John McRea's art style. Preferably it'd be produced by Bruce Timm and go places the comics didn't with the narrative and such so it lasts much longer but if Ennis got on board and a lot of the old favorites (Hammil, Conroy, etc) got on for voice acting it would be wonderful even if the whole thing is just a big pipe dream and I doubt DC would ever grant the proper liscences for it.

 

Ex Machina - I could see this being on ABC or NBC or some other primetime acronym. Though some of the more shocking moments would be more suited to HBO. I don't think any series is more tailor made for TV than this one. I call for Nathan Fillion as Hundred.

 

The Tick: The New Animated Series - Okay this has failed twice. The lesson? Stop putting that shit on Fox, Ben. The Tick could be written the way it's wanted and not atrociously done like that live action series on Ben Edlund's new best friend Cartoon Network. The Venture Brothers has already been going strong there for 3 seasons so The Tick could easily find a home there. I could see SCUD and Mystery Men doing the same.

 

Jonah Hex - This would definitely be for Showtime or HBO. Think of it as Deadwood meets Supernatural starring the old west's posterboy for "don't pick at it." While Brolin's playing him in the upcoming movie and Thomas Jane is too big a star for the show to last very long I could see Jeffrey Dean Morgan pulling the role off perfectly.

 

Hellblazer - Okay, forget the movie, forget Keanu, forget it all. Picture a more mature Dr. Who with demons and spirits and such. It could work out very well, though this time I think it should stick more to the comics and actually have a brit as the lead. At one time I could have seen Daniel Craig in the role but he's too old and popular now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you say crazy things, crazy man.

 

This would go atrociously, TV budgets never allow for special effect that looks un-shitty and the Daredevil costume would either look horrible or be one of those pleather nightmares they make characters on Smallville wear. At best we'd be looking at something the quality of Blade: The Series here. I think even a Punisher series would jump the shark in the first episode.

 

the costume wasnt even on the top 5 of the problems of the DD film, was it? i see your concern with pleather, but we're talking HBO/etc where shows have a budget, and frankly, after Rome, i dont think this is impossible nor asking much. again, its about as good as your effects need to get; the rest of the budget goes to new actors and fight choreography.

 

good calls on Ex Machina (shoulda thought of that!), Hellblazer would be great and could almost blend with the Tales of the Crypt niche, to an extent? but Hitman...you're skipping the zombie penguins and such, yeah?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fuck no, zombie penguins and all. If The Maxx and Spawn can work, so can Hitman.

 

P.S. I can't buy a whitebread Vietnam Vet with an American flag tattooed on his face and screaming "Give me a red!" whilst freaking out on amphetamines and firing an M-60 whilst standing atop a sky scraper as anything but insanely comical if filmed in live-action. I'm sure the Stilt Man episode would also help make Daredevil the number one comedy of the year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hellblazer - Okay, forget the movie, forget Keanu, forget it all. Picture a more mature Dr. Who with demons and spirits and such. It could work out very well, though this time I think it should stick more to the comics and actually have a brit as the lead. At one time I could have seen Daniel Craig in the role but he's too old and popular now.

I always wondered why the WB (back when there was a WB) never developed this for a series back in the height of Buffy's popularity. Seems like a squandered opportunity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True, could still work but itd be interesting to see how audiences react to such a selfish anti-hero. its not like when Dr. House smarms everyone and falls ass-backwards into a solution; Constantine pulls it off, then saves his own ass by letting a loved one get trapped in hell or something. on more than one occasion.

 

also, baytor: i somehow missed the "animated" bit youd put prior. that'd work, just thought you meant live-action which i think could fly, though again zombie penguins might be tricky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

also, baytor: i somehow missed the "animated" bit youd put prior. that'd work, just thought you meant live-action which i think could fly, though again zombie penguins might be tricky.

 

Oh fuck no, live action would be a castastrophe of epic proportion. Why the fuck would I drop Bruce Timm, Mark Hammil, and Kevin Conroy's name if I was talking live-action?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought the Daredevil movie costume kicked ass. They could just pull that outta storage for a tv show. That said, I'm not sure it'd make a good live action treatment. Now, a Batman TAS-type animated Daredevil? Hmmm.

 

1439.thumbnail.jpg180px-Elektra_by_Bruce_Timm_2.jpg

 

I think Y the Last Man would make a great series. And Bone would be a wonderful miniseries.

 

League of Extraordinary Gentleman seems tailor-made to be a tv show, though it would be everything Alan Moore hates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought the Daredevil movie costume kicked ass. They could just pull that outta storage for a tv show.

 

It does, but lets be honest, just dragging it out of storage would cost more many than any TV show would be willing to spend. This is the kind of quality we're looking at here.

 

smallville_green_arrow.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love & Rockets - An episode of Xaime (Hopie and Maggie shit), then an Episode of 'Beto (Palomar/Luba).

 

Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron (Eightball) - This could be like Twin Peaks, only sensical and without a 2nd season!

 

Cerebus - Animated, with a style that evolves as Sim's art does (i.e. long nosed crude Barry Windsor Smith imitation at the beginning). An episode every other week for the next 12 and a half years!

 

Black Hole - Charles Burns' teen plague epic. This one really should have been done already, it would make Cabin Fever look like fuckin' ginger beer.

 

Stray Bullets - Practically custom fuckin' built for TV purposes. It would be hard to fuck this up (though I'm sure it could be done).

 

Swamp Thing - Yeah, it's been done and failed miserably. They should do a re-boot picking up right where the assumed-dead Swamp Thing wakes up and realizes he was never a man. Just a straight up adaptation of the Alan Moore run, even the crazy outer space arch.

 

Ronin - Isn't Miller supposed to be hot these days? This should totally be done.

 

Give Me Liberty/ Martha Washington Goes to War - See above.

 

Hate - It would be totally retro now! Hey kids, remember when the 90's were cool? Starring this guy:

austin_music_feature2-6.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sandman - Animated, and without a lot of the archaic DC character cameos could be quite neat.

 

Transmet - also animated, necessary lengthy voice over narration could be a turn off, but fuck 'em.

 

Miracleman - Live action. The opening "retro" MM story could be done like the old campy Batman show, then a zoom in on the eye and the Neitzche quote and things could get rolling proper. Would be fucking epic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Zot! - Some of my first memories are of sitting on my father's lap while he read this to me and pointed at the pictures. I think I can trace a lifetime of infatuation with comics to this single defining moment. I'm almost positive Scott McCloud wouldn't allow an adaptation to be done, but it would make a fun little show. HBO/Showtime wouldn't even be necessary, this one could air on practically any network without making any major changes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sandman - Animated, and without a lot of the archaic DC character cameos could be quite neat.

 

 

whoah, really? i thought Ronin was a bit've a weird call, but Sandman? i mean, its not that it couldnt be done, but the animation'd have to switch up almost entirely per arc, and the voice acting'd be crucial. tricky project.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

whoah, really? i thought Ronin was a bit've a weird call, but Sandman? i mean, its not that it couldnt be done, but the animation'd have to switch up almost entirely per arc, and the voice acting'd be crucial. tricky project.

 

I won't argue that it wouldn't be tricky. The art doesn't have to switch up like the books, I'd be perfectly content with a standard animation throughout. Maybe something a little P. Craig Russell-ish, maybe not. It would work fine, it's the script that would make or break it.

 

And is Ronin really that weird? I'm surprised they aren't at least making a movie out of this one already. It's got all the makings; the way it's laid out you practically have your storyboard done already, nice little "action beats" that Hollywood seems to insist on, a twist ending...

 

Explain yourself, sir.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ronin works in its storytelling & length/pace, as i recall (its been years) but it wasnt one of Miller's more memorable tales for me 's all.

Martha Washington's still in my queue to read one day. i didnt cotton to stray bullets either (dont hate me) but what little i read might work.

 

we should take some of these pics and start doing casting calls for them, though - i still think Eckhart (sp?) for Walking Dead's Rick is a really great call.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i didnt cotton to stray bullets either (dont hate me) but what little i read might work.

 

Actually, most people don't seem to dig Stray Bullets. I can't hate on all of you, so I've merely resigned myself to sighing and shaking my head. It's one of those things that you've gotta read from the beginning to properly groove on. I think it works best when it's randomly hopping time periods and offering short, well crafted stories on an issue-by-issue basis. The weakest points to me are the long chronologically accurate story arcs with the same characters, like the 2nd trade. It had its moments, but I didn't love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...