The Hollywood Reporter today is reporting that the newly-formed Death Ray Films is taking Dark Horse’s El Zombo Fantasma to the big screen in partnership with Maya Entertainment.
According to the report, Kevin Munroe will write and direct the feature, with Dark Horse’s Mike Richardson executive producing.
El Zombo Fantasma, published in 2005, was created by David Wilkins and Kevin Munroe. The story follows the murder of a notorious Mexican wrestler who bargains his way out of an Hell by returning to Los Angeles to act as a guardian angel to a troubled teen. He soon discovers that the young Belisa Montoya is actually spiritually linked to him, and has been for a very long time.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, movie execs hope to follow up the feature film with an animated series, and refer to the movie as “a Latin Hellboy.” The film seems poised to be the first comics-to-film adaption to appeal specifically to the Hispanic population.
“Zombo started years ago as just a geeky idea between two friends who worked at the same video game company,” says Munroe. “But Dave and I always knew that the property had a broader appeal than just its publishing roots, and now we’ll see it finally reach an entirely new audience. I’m thrilled to be a part of creating this new breed of superhero for the big screen.”
Death Ray Films is an entertainment production company founded by comic book & film industry veterans Chris Patton, Robert Sanchez and Kevin Munroe. The trio’s diverse backgrounds and extensive experience in all forms of media include: film, TV, Internet, comics and video games. And when combined, they form a giant robot.
Maya Entertainment, created by award winning producer Moctesuma Esparza, is a vertically integrated company and is the only production/distribution/exhibition entity in the United States, dedicated to the constantly growing US Latino Market. The Latino market represents the fastest-growing consumer segment in the U.S. and accordingly offers some of the most exciting growth opportunities for the entertainment industry today. Maya Entertainment is uniquely poised to become the first broad-based Latino-oriented filmed entertainment company.
