The gritty comic book character Spawn isn’t intended for the preteen set, so why the hell would a movie studio want to keep a potential reboot at PG-13? It’s a dark character, set in a dark world. The reboot, which has been a long-time project for creator Todd McFarlane, has been receiving some more buzz recently thanks to the star of the 1997 Spawn film, Michael Jai White.
At the San Diego Comic-Con, White was talking up a possible return to the role of Al Simmons (Spawn):
“I hope he does [make the film]. In the next couple years I might have to produce it myself. It’s a no-brainer. Look at how these movies have done, superhero movies that have gone dark, and there hasn’t been one darker than Spawn. If we do it like we want to, it could be a game changer.”
I think the key thing would be for McFarlane to have total control. The ’97 movie was PG-13, and most critics gave it a collective meh. Go dark, go violent, and keep it true to the tone of the comic.
“I think Todd feels the same way as me – that we go R. Not a kinder, gentler Spawn – we go straight R – like pushing it, pushing NC-17. Give the fans what they expect. That edge brought [the comic book] to where it is. I would really like to show what that character can be.”
Comedies of late have been able to find box office success with that R rating. Why not an action/super hero movie? If they keep it edgy and real, giving the fans exactly the Spawn they know from the books, they’ll not only make the movie they want, but also make a movie that would appeal to the audience.
