What If... Brad Bird Had Directed The Spirit?

LA TIMES: 'The Spirit' movie that could have been
by Steven Paul Leiva - 11:55 AM PT, Dec 12 2008

For every movie that makes it to the screen, there are a thousand projects that fall to the wayside. Later this month, "The Spirit," finally, hits theaters after plenty of failed attempts. Steven Paul Leiva was a key figure in one of those failed attempts and in this guest essay for Hero Complex he talks about the film that could have been.

Frank Miller’s film version of Will Eisner’s innovative 1940s comic book, “The Spirit” opens on Christmas Day. It will be stylistic and hyper-visual, a hoped-for perfect melding of film and “sequential art,” a term coined by Eisner. What it will not be, however, is revolutionary. Comic book movies are now the meat and potatoes -- not to mention several side vegetables -- of Hollywood. And even its green screen, scene-simulation style is just part of a Miller continuum that started with “Sin City.”

But if the world had turned a little differently, if fate had been a little kinder, a “Spirit” feature film would have debuted in the 1980s that would not only have been revolutionary but -- those of us involved in it were convinced -- a huge hit, possibly the first $100 million-grossing animated feature. And the futures of such filmmakers as Brad Bird, Gary Kurtz, John Musker and John Lasseter might have taken alternative paths.

For the rest of the article, click here.

Thanks to Cartoon Brew for the tip!

Frank Miller's Spirit Movie, Remake OTD: The Lavender Hill Mob

VARIETY: Frank Miller to write, direct 'Spirit'
Eisner comic comes to bigscreen
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Posted: Tue., May 15, 2007, 8:00pm PT

Lionsgate has acquired domestic and U.K. distribution rights to "The Spirit," a live adaptation of the classic Will Eisner comicbook series. Frank Miller wrote the script and will direct.

Deal marks the start of a multipicture pact under which Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment will co-finance and co-produce together. Odd Lot partners Gigi Pritzker and Deborah Del Prete are showing a finished script by Miller and will broker overseas territories during Cannes.

The Spirit is a man who fakes his own death so he can fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His nemesis is the Octopus, who kills those unlucky enough to see his face and is looking to wipe out the entire city. Miller, who first got behind the camera to co-direct "Sin City" with Robert Rodriguez, will make "The Spirit" his first solo helming effort. Miller created the graphic novels that were adapted into the films "Sin City" and "300," and the production start of "The Spirit" will be influenced by the start date of the "Sin City" sequel that Miller will make with Rodriguez.

"Will was a dear friend, a mentor, and translating his vision to the screen will be a labor of love," Miller said."The Spirit" will be produced by Pritzker and Del Prete, along with Lionsgate's Mike Paseornek and Batfilm's Michael Uslan. Benjamin Melniker will exec produce with Steve Maier, and Linda McDonough and F.J. DeSanto are co-producers.

Frank Miller's "vision is perfectly matched to that of Eisner," said Lionsgate Theatrical Films prexy Tom Ortenberg.

Odd Lot is also mobilizing a remake of "The Lavender Hill Mob" with director Dean Parisot, and "Sense and Sensibilidad," a Latino version of the Jane Austen classic to be directed by "Woman on Top" helmer Fina Torres.

Odd Lot Intl. is selling the film in Cannes.

*************************************************************************************

"Frank Miller's 'vision is perfectly matched to that of Eisner,' said Lionsgate Theatrical Films prexy Tom Ortenberg."

Well... no. No, I don't think so.

Not a good movie news day. "The Spirit" is finally being made into a film, but by the king of the teeth-knashers; and "The Lavender Hill Mob", one of the least-broken films I can think of, is being 'fixed'. Sigh.