It’s been almost one year since Jeremy Renner and Jamie Foxx were announced as the stars of the upcoming “Spawn” reboot from writer-director-creator Todd McFarlane. During that time, last summer, “Spawn” seemed like a slam dunk to begin production in a timely manner. McFarlane got his wish of being writer-director and Blumhouse Productions were going to produce and get funding. But yet, a year later, we have nothing to show from it. And in a new interview, McFarlane hints that the whole thing could still fall apart.
“The money’s sitting on the sidelines ready to go,” said the filmmaker in an interview with Comicbook.com. “I just need to get everyone that wants to put in money to shake their heads to the same script. As you can imagine, everyone has a slightly different version of it in their head.”
He continued, “You just go and trying to appease a handful of people while not giving in to what it is that I’m trying to do myself. Because if I have to change it too much, I’ll just walk away from it all.”
These are bold words from a man that was seemingly ready to go in January, when he described the dismal tone of “Spawn.” But it appears that there are still some issues with the script that have to be worked out. And when you have Blumhouse (a studio with an incredible track record of profitability) and two major A-listers, there are a lot more eyes on the script than when it was just McFarlane writing his dream project.
Does this mean the film is never going to happen? Not at all. In fact, it could get the green light tomorrow, with a finished script and a studio swooping in to distribute. But as of now, it appears that the film is hanging on by a thread.
READ MORE: Jeremy Renner To Play Star Opposite Jamie Foxx In Blumhouses’ ‘Spawn’
And unlike other filmmakers that might be willing to sacrifice their vision for the chance to make a studio film, McFarlane has proven that he is not that guy. He’s sat with this idea for a new take on the “Spawn” franchise for well over a decade. Hell, we’re probably going on two decades at this point, since the original “Spawn” film turned out to be a dumpster fire in 1997. Since that less-than-favorable response, McFarlane has taken the reins on his baby and has yet to submit to anyone else.
So, if you’re a fan of superhero/supernatural films that are “dark, ugly two hours worth of movie” with “no joy,” then perhaps you say an extra prayer to Malebolgia in Hell to get this film going once again.