A big-screen reboot of the Spawn comic book franchise has been talked about for years, and it looks close to finally getting off the ground. According to producer and Blumhouse Productions head Jason Blum, while speaking to ComicBook.com, the long-gestating cinematic reboot is apparently very close to starting production for a potential 2025 theatrical release, that is if the current dispute between the writers and studios can be resolved.
It seems one potential obstacle is the current ongoing dispute between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Per ComicBook.com’s report, Blum indicated that the script is not yet complete, and the production moving forward is dependent on the end of the currently ongoing WGA strike, which is currently about to enter its third month.
SPAWN MOVIE REBOOT AIMING FOR POTENTIAL 2025 RELEASE
The previous indication was that Spawn creator Todd McFarlane would make his motion picture directorial debut for the upcoming feature. According to the new report, Blum did not offer an update if the new film is still working off McFarlane’s original idea for the project, or if changes have been made to the concept.
The original live-action Spawn film was released in 1997 by New Line Cinema, starring Michael Jai White as the titular antihero, the resurrected Al Simmons, who makes a deal with a demon after his death so he can see his wife again. Instead, he’s transformed into a creature named Spawn to lead hell’s armies. Simmons ultimately rejects the demon Malebolgia’s deal and seeks to fight against him instead. The film also starred John Leguizamo as the demonic Clown, aka The Violator.
The 1997 film was not incredibly well received by critics, but it grossed $54 million at the domestic box office. A new film has been talked about for years since the original’s release, but nothing has ever materialized.
CB.com reports that Oscar-winner and Spider-Man: No Way Home star Jamie Foxx is still attached to star in the reboot. McFarlane had started speaking openly about plans for the reboot as early as 2016. The vision for the reboot was for it to be a hard-R horror film, rather than receive a PG-13 rating similar to the 1997 picture.
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Unfortunately, it appears the project is at a standstill due to the current WGA strike, as Blum explained. Speaking to ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian, Blum stated, “I would say you have a lot to hope for because it’s in very, very active development.”
The producer continued that he’s hoping for a 2025 release of the film, provided the strike can get resolved. He added, “What needs to happen is that my fellow friends, the writers, and the studios need to figure out their differences and get back to writing, but we’ve got a great group of folks putting it together, and my hope is that that movie — my prediction is maybe we’ll actually see a Spawn movie in ’25. No promises, but that’s my prediction.”
Besides the WGA strike, the entertainment industry could also be soon facing another strike by the actors union, SAG-AFTRA. The current SAG-AFTRA contract with the AMPTP is set to expire today (June 30). If a new deal is not reached, SAG-AFTRA could potentially call for a labor strike as early as later tonight.
Members of the union already voted for a strike authorization, so the national board could call for a strike soon if a new deal is not reached. That could potentially cause further delays to production starting on the Spawn reboot.
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Currently, prospective star Foxx is recovering after having a “medical complication” and a hospitalization earlier this year. The actor was hospitalized earlier in April. Details regarding the nature of his health issues have never been confirmed. Variety reports that the Oscar winner’s daughter, Corrine Foxx, shared in May that her father was released from the hospital and has been “recuperating” for weeks. She also said he was well enough to start playing pickleball.
Star Wars franchise star John Boyega, who co-stars with Foxx in the upcoming Netflix feature They Cloned Tyrone, told People.com on Foxx, “He’s doing well. And then, you know, we just giving him the privacy, and we can’t wait for his return.” He added, “I gave him the well wishes directly. I gave him all the well wishes. So I’m just gonna be waiting until he comes back out here. So take your time, Jamie. We love you, bro.'”
Back in 2021, it was reported by Collider that Broken City scribe Brian Tucker was penning the script for the reboot. It’s unknown if his draft has undergone any rewrites and if the script is still working from his iteration. Currently, the Spawn reboot does not yet have an official release date. It should be interesting to see if the new cinematic reboot finally pans out.
What do you think of the news? Do you think the big-screen Spawn movie reboot is finally getting off the ground? Do you think it will be an improvement over the 1997 film? Let us know what you think about the news on The Illuminerdi’s social media.
SOURCE: ComicBook.com
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