With film production currently being on hold, most project updates amount to creatives declaring what they’re planning to do once everything returns to some semblance of normality. The Spawn reboot, on the other hand, is apparently moving forward after five years of development hell and months of not much to go on.
Fans have been waiting years for a proper live action Spawn, with the previous Michael Jai White-starring effort in 1997 being very, very ‘90s and leaving a bad taste in the mouths of many. It was released a year before Blade made people realize that perhaps comic book movies could be taken seriously, and its PG-13 rating and attempt to straddle tones of camp and serious resulted in a mixed reception that stalled further versions.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, the new movie’s producer, Jason Blum, had this to say about the project’s status:
“There has been an enormous amount of activity on Spawn. No new news that I’m going to reveal here, I’m sorry to tell you, but the title ‘Spawn,’ I’ve been uttering that word a lot in the last two or three weeks and we’ll have more news to come. But, suffice it to say, it is a very active development.”
He was then asked if this was merely him wandering about his house repeating the title, and replied:
“I wanna make the movie so badly, I wouldn’t put that past myself, and it’s an excellent question, but in this case, I’ve actually been talking to other people about it, but there’s been a seismic event on Spawn.”
I know it’s irritating to be baited with something big and left with nothing but maddening vagueries, and I’m sorry, but the very fact that Blum made such an announcement bodes well for the project’s future. Since the time in which we’re currently living means that any film can be indefinitely delayed without further justification, Blum countering this with an assertion that Spawn is moving forward demonstrates how confident he is in its continued development and that wheels are genuinely in motion.
Blumhouse has generally become synonymous with producing large returns on comparatively small budgets, often not skimping on quality along the way. It doesn’t always result in the best of outcomes, as anyone who saw Fantasy Island can tell you, but the studio’s hits far outweigh its misses, and if this take on Spawn is anything like even its mid-tier output, it’ll be something to look forward to, especially with comic creator Todd McFarlane at the helm to ensure his vision is properly realized.