As several projects are being picked up in wake of Sundance viewings, others are not experiencing the same kind of luck. /Film has some upsetting news for comic book and film fans alike: David Fincher-produced, Jeff Fowler and Tim Miller-directed The Goon, as well as Rawson Thurber‘s Elfquest, are ceasing to exist. As we’ve seen with the recent Akira adaptation, chances are they could see the light of day in upcoming months — but it doesn’t look good right now.
The last time we heard about The Goon was almost a year ago, when Fincher shed light on the project’s money troubles. Progress for the adaptation started back in 2008, when Fincher optioned the rights for the comic from creator Eric Powell, with the hope of making a CG animated picture with Blur Studio. Paul Giamatti and Clancy Brown signed on to voice various characters in 2009, and the film even showed promise at Comic Con after screenings in 2010. Now, things aren’t looking good.
IFC got a hold of Giamatti at Sundance this past week, where he gave an insight into the project that ultimately resulted in this quote:
“I have no idea what the hell happened. I asked and no one knows. I guess they just ran out of money.
And if you think The Goon‘s adaptation troubles have been long, Elfquest has been struggling to get made for what /Film says has been “decades.” The project was originally meant to be an animated feature back in 1981, but has undergone several speed bumps along the way. Warner Bros. tried to revive the adaptation back in 2008, with Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball) set to write, produce and direct. Sounds as though Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit is to blame for all of this ruckus.
Co-creator of the comic, Wendy Pini wrote on the Facebook page (via BleedingCool) about the project’s death.
“After close to four years of suspense – and longer than four years of your much-appreciated interest and support – the word has come down from Warner Bros. And the word is ‘no’. Their simple explanation is that they don’t want to compete with The Hobbit. This was a possibility, among several, that we were prepared for. It is a relief, at last, to know.”
Although I haven’t read either comic book, this is, no matter what, a sad day for those who have. Again, we could see them grace the big screen in upcoming years, but hopes of that happening are now at an all-time low.
Have you read The Goon or Elfquest? If so, are you saddened by this news?