News broke late Friday night that Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s creator-owned four-issue limited series Nemesis has been optioned as a film by 20th Century Fox, with Top Gun and Enemy of the State director Tony Scott attached.
For the last few days, Millar has been teasing a major forthcoming announcement on his Twitter, calling it his “biggest news ever.” The news surfaced first on comic book gossip site Bleeding Cool, and was later confirmed on Hollywood industry news blog Deadline.
In 2008, Millar’s Top Cow miniseries Wanted was adapted for the big screen by director Timur Bekmambetov and starring Angelina Jolie. Earlier this year, Kick-Ass, another Millar-written Marvel Icon series, saw a movie from current X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn. Scott is by far the most seasoned director of the three, with his first major feature film being 1983′s The Hunger, and credits including Beverly Hills Cop II, Days of Thunder, Man on Fire and 2009′s The Taking of Pelham 123. Scott, brother of fellow noted director Ridley Scott, has worked extensively with actor Denzel Washington, with their fifth collaboration, Unstoppable, slated for November.
Nemesis debuted in March, with a promotional tagline of “what if Batman was the Joker?” Thus far, two issues have been released, with a third scheduled to be out in September.
August 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
The book stinks, so I don’t see how the movie could be any good, since the concept is about as hackneyed and forced as concepts get.
August 7th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Wow, this book has only been out for a few months and already it’s being made into a movie. This will encourage more greedy creaters as opposed to the ones who are actually passionate and love the medium. I’m seeing the trend and Millar can be pied piper! Maybe now, DC & WB will let him do the screenplay for Superman, which he’s been desperately petitioning.
August 7th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Why do people keeping wanting to option Mark Millar’s stuff? Kick-Ass was a dismal failure because, like all of Millar’s stuff, it does not appeal past a small group of degenerates because of the vulgarity of it. When Millar can tell a story with resorting to vulgar language situations.
August 7th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Uggh. Its dumb decisions like this that have made the comic book movie genre out of control and may be the reason that it may explode and fade away in a few years. If studios are going to adapt a lesser known property(which i do support), atleast choose a property that is well regarded, and perhaps one that has been completed!
August 7th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
hahaha to much vulgarity? get your head out of the sunshines and rainbows universe your in pal….sucka sucka sucka my DICK!!!!!
August 7th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
I must say, if i didn’t know any better i would think that kick ass was a flop of a movie (definitely NOT), and that no one liked anything Mark Millar does. Which we all know is total bull$#^+. Sorry to all of you who want your stories about pretty, perfect people who never make an awkward moral judgment (you now, like normal people do), and never use any words that would upset anyone (you know, like, nearly everyone i know does), but for the rest of us who don’t want to read DC’s bland, predictable characters, we’ll be picking up the books Millar puts out until he finally quits comics to create movies full time (which will likely never happen). Why is every newsarama reader a whiny little troll?
August 7th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Well, Wanted and Kick-Ass were both good, so maybe this will be good as well.
August 7th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
I have no problem with Mark Millar or any of his stuff. Kick Ass was an average comic that got turned into an awesome film and Wanted was an awesome comic that got turned into a god awful film (my opinion of course). I have to wonder why they bother to print the comic at all. Why not write a script for a comic book movie with some penciled/inked panels and pitch directly to the film companies. I have a horrible feeling that it’s because these film companies want that comic book stamp of approval, and of course have to do this as they can’t get their hands on any Marvel or DC. That is a rather cynical view I admit and I agree with J D that people shouldn’t outright moan about it. Especially about Millar as he did give the world Superman: Red Son, which was amazing. It just kinda bums me out because you never know if the next “awesome release” is going to be just to get a movie deal or not. Oh well, we’ll keep reading them and going to see the films anyway.
August 7th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Excellent! Millar Just knows how to write comics that are good and translate well into other mediums. You can’t tell me after seeing the first issue, that it wouldn’t be a a Kick -ass film. (pun intended)
August 7th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Tony Scott is the WORST! This is horrible news.
August 7th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
I’m not against vulgarity, I’m against vulgarity that is used as a substitute for good story.
August 7th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Oh look, Millar is gonna have his book about evil Batman/Owlman/Prometheus made.
Are there any ideas he hasn’t ripped off and whored off to Hollywood?
What are you doing under that table, Mr. Millar?
August 7th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
No one really will care as it really isn’t a very good book. Maybe DC will now tell him to change the name since he ripped it off anyway and not just from them. As far as vulgarity, people who are vulgar like it. They’re the ones who like to throw out low life comments just because someone gives an opinion. I like those type of people. It’s funny how a little old school free style practice and they shut up real quick. Of course it hard being a loud mouth coward so what can you do.
August 7th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
I don’t have anything against Millar, but am I the only one who is noticing this weird trend where comics are being used more for movie pitches than to make quality comics? It just feels like a scam. Why is it that a book that’s not even done yet is getting a movie deal when a character like Wonder Woman or The Flash has been around for years and years and still hasn’t on the big screen yet? I’m not saying I’m against some fresh faces and some diversity, but it kind of feels soulless the way they’re going about it.
August 7th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
@Dude
Because books like Wonder Woman and the Flash only exist to cater to a small, nostalgic fanbases for outdated characters. The publishers keep cranking out books for the same characters decades after they’ve been creatively exhausted because they know there will always be a small group of fans willing to follow them. It’s actually more soulless than creating a comic book with the intent of later adapting it into a movie.
August 7th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
At least Michael Bay isn’t directing it.
August 7th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Between Big Daddy and now Nemesis; can Millar even create a character that isn’t a subpar rip-off of Batman?
August 7th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
The problem is that every character in comics is somewhat of a Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman pastiche.
But regarding Millar, I think the reason why he gets work in Hollywood is because his books are easy-made pitches. Kick Ass was “What if a Teenager did become a Superhero?” and “Spiderman Meets Jack-Ass.” Wanted was “What if Villains Took Over?” and “Fight Club meets Illuminati.” Nemesis is “What if the Joker was Batman” and “Sherlock Holmes/Moriarty meets Michael Bay.”
And I think Millar works well in Hollywood because he always has a decent twisted through-line. Wanted was basically Spider-man, with a character that takes the opposite route of Peter Parker and Superman (with great power comes a great chance to take advantage of others). Kick Ass basically takes the the “great power” idea again and twists it by having a character who doesn’t have “great power” or “skill” and makes them take responsiblity to be a vigilante. Nemesis takes the route of someone taking revenge on those who killed his parents, but with the idea that his parents were horrible deviant serial killers.
Millar can pitch well, he’s generous to the people he works with, and he has stories that are pretty basic with just enough of a subversion of the 3-4 superhero origin stories that are portrayed in popcorn film today.
August 8th, 2010 at 1:19 am
You complainers are so cute.
Millar deserves this. He’s one of the best writers in the industry at the moment and he’s been churning out consistently solid reads for years now. Sorry you can’t see that. Go read Nova or something…
I’m happy for him and hope this works out well on the big screen.
August 8th, 2010 at 1:59 am
I’m not sure that it bodes well, but the combination of Tony Scott and Mark Millar makes all kinds of sense. Each of these guys has been pushing an aesthetic based on unrepentant, high-concept trashiness for years in his respective art-form, so why not pair the fast-cutting fluorescence of Domino with the lad-baiting splatter and over-size daddy issues that have become the hallmarks of the Millar style? This sounds like a crime against good taste that I can live with for about 2 hours and 40 ounces.
August 8th, 2010 at 4:43 am
First there was news about a MAGE film.
And now Grendel!
Matt Wagner must be pleased.
August 8th, 2010 at 7:23 am
gary Says:
The problem is that every character in comics is somewhat of a Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman pastiche.
But one could easily say that Batman and Superman are both rip-offs of The Shadow and Doc Savage etc. At the end of the day, everything has been inspired by everything before it going back to ancient myth like Heracles, Thor, Ulysses etc. Millar’s not doing anything different that any creator in the past has done. He just seems a lot more media savy. He’s not my cup of tea, but I wish him the best. Tony Scott is a great visual director who should create a great adaptation.
August 8th, 2010 at 7:50 am
That’s true Flinstone, but Millar had to use Batman’s name to sell this book, and DC’s lawyers had to threaten him to make him back off that meme.
We’re looking at Morrison’s Prometheus, Mark Millar-style.
The book’s not good and not even finished. Who would option a movie?
Oh wait, Fox Studios? That makes sense.
August 8th, 2010 at 8:39 am
@Kel-El
It’s not that he’s using Batman’s name. That’s the entire hook of the premise. What if there was someone with Batman’s resources and smarts who worked for the opposite side? That’s the easiest way to explain what the character is about to comic readers and people outside of comics. Sure he could’ve went with, well Nemesis is this character who has all of these cool gadgets, is an elite fighter and has one of the brightest minds in the world, but he’s EEEEEVIL!!!! I mean come on! Anyone who reads comics would probably say, soooo “He’s an evil Batman?”
And Prometheus was hardly the coolest, best or first anti-Batman. I’d say Catman is a much more interesting anti-Batman.
August 8th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Mark Millar’s one of the best writers in the industry? Really? When Millar is writing his creator owned stuff, maybe. But when he’s on an established character, he is definitely not. Between he and Bendis, they have successfully chased me away from most things Marvel, and that makes me sad. And Chitty, I do read Nova (as well as GOTG and Thanos Imperative), and Millar will never get close to writing a masterpiece like DnA have crafted in those titles.
August 8th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
I’m on the fence with this… I do find Millar a very entertaining writer and don’t agree that ALL of his writing is ultra violent or crass (hate most of the Ultimate stuff, but loved his UFF)… I do think there are way more other writers who have material that deserves film treatment, but Millar just happens to be a smart (and lucky) writer. He’s stayed a major name in comics with high profile work on Marvel stuff and parlays this success and fan base into creator owned characters that are easily optioned to studios because of this. Wanted is a perfect case that he’s willing to bend with what a studio wants, since the movie was greatly changed from the original source material. His movies might not be blockbusters, but they still do okay as far as making money is concerned. In the end, I wish anyone luck with success because it takes a lot of talent, persistence, management, and luck to achieve lots of it…
August 8th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Meanwhile….”Millar’s ego grows bigger!” Honestly, the man is overrated. He cannot create anything orignal. Look at WANTED a comlpete ripoff of DC/Marvel. The only thing he can write is a good Superman story. The only reason he & Brubakers stuff is optioned is bec their outspoken political views. nuff said
August 8th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
I guess it’s better to be overrated than not even on the rating scale. But when it comes down to it – you’re talking about him and his product.
I see a lot of “Millar-envy” here. Good for a chuckle at least.
August 8th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Wow, good job, Hacky McDumbass. Bitter much?
August 9th, 2010 at 1:24 am
At the end of the day all of the messages listed here remind me exactly why I left the real Rama Boards those years ago. OK, so like 3 years ago.
I got to the point where I just couldn’t take the 95% negativity that permeates the entire message board. It got to the point where it was bringing ME down and then I started to hate on comics hard as bad as all the other losers!
I will still read articles of interviews with actual writers/artists here and at CBR. Other than that now I just read the solicitations online each month, go to the shop, buy my comics, go home and read them. And then most importantly I FORM MY OWN OPINIONS ABOUT THE COMICS I’M READING! NO MORE BANDWAGONS DRIVEN AROUND BY THE DARKNESS WHICH RUNS RAMA MESSAGE BOARDS!!!
Peace out homies!
August 9th, 2010 at 11:59 am
What I have never understood and what I will always fail to understand is why people who buy and love comics (me included)are always complaining about some comic books, when the truth is that is always good news to see new properties traslate into other mediums, like movies, or cartoons, or whatever.
I mean, who would have thought 15 or 20 years ago that creator owned projects would be made into movies? Really? So now that it´s happening, and that people (studios)are willing to invest in our hobbies, why is it there are out there lots of people who just say: Ohh, this is poo! WTF is this! Why does MMillar even exist?
I mean, the more people read comic books, the better, and it doesn’t matter (and it doesn’t hurt anyone) if they are reading marvel or dc or dark horse or image or idw, as long as they are reading something!
After all, of you don’t like it, don’t watch it, don’t see it, don’t buy it, and don’t read it, and please, don’t be a hatter just because!!
August 9th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Indeed, Crokies. On the other hand, 30+ responses to a news item means it probably got a ton of page views, which help pay for Nrama’s writers and bandwidth. It’s sort of the Monsters Inc. screams-to-energy method, turning bratty vitriol into viable energy.
August 9th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Hopefully they’ll make The Unfunnies movie next.
I kid.
August 9th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Crokies, the problem is that in the case of Kick-Ass and Nemesis, it seems to be more about selling a pitch to Hollywood than writing a good comic. The comic is so secondary that it’s completely unnecessary.
If you just want to make loads of cash in Hollywood, then just go do that then and don’t bother with the comics.
As somebody else pointed out earlier, there are far better characters to make a movie about than from some half-finished project that’s being driven by a Hollywood paycheck.
August 10th, 2010 at 8:10 am
@silvanthalas: Those loads of Hollywood cash aren’t as loaded as they used to be. This is just my speculation, but a published comic is a heck of a way to sell a movie to an industry swamped with ideas and pitches from all sorts of writers and wack-jobs. Some movies start as a three paragraph treatment, but Millar essentially provides them with a fully realized story complete with storyboards to be adapted at the director’s discretion. And if Millar can get paid for writing the comic and selling the movie, then why not? It’s like Frank Miller writing a new Xerxes OGN- he doesn’t need to make a whole new comic to get a 300 sequel greenlit, but he can get paid twice for one job if he does, and then much of the design work for the movie is already done.
And all work is driven by a paycheck. Comics are probably more creatively fulfilling and conducive to a singular voice than the movie industry, but money’s money.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
“It’s like Frank Miller writing a new Xerxes OGN-”
And does anybody really think this Xerxes story is going to be some great thing from Miller? Call me skeptical, but I really doubt it.
August 11th, 2010 at 11:58 am
You’re skeptical. Which is natural, given that it’s a movie tie-in comic, but Miller’s writing is usually my kind of crazy. If he wants to bring another giant-size dawn of civilization fever dream of a comic into the world, I’ll sure as heck give it a read.
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