Matthew Vaughn Deciding Between Two Millar Films To Adapt. My Suggestion: Better Source Material.
Matthew Vaughn gave my ass one of the best comic book movies in recent memory this summer when he dropped a quality First Class on an unsuspecting public. So how’s he following it up? By deciding which of two Mark Millar comic books he’s going to adapt. Matty, I know he’s your friend and all. But you’re better than this. Way better.
Slashfilm:
The odds of Matthew Vaughn doing a Kick-Ass sequel may be vanishingly low, but the chances of him working with comics writer Mark Millar again are apparently hovering somewhere around 100%. The director had a big hit this summer with X-Men: First Class and is now considering his next move. And while he has yet to decide what exactly he wants to do, it will almost certainly involve Millar. More details after the jump.
Vaughn’s got two options at the moment. The first is a film version of The Secret Service, an upcoming comic by Millar and artist Dave Gibbons, who did the art for Watchmen. Little is known about the plot of the series, which will premiere in February. As he has with some of his previous works, Millar is auctioning off the rights to name one of the major characters. (That’s how Kick-Ass protagonist Dave Lizewski got his name.) This time around, it’ll be the supervillain, but the proceeds will go toward the decidedly non-evil St Bartholomew’s Primary School Pantomime Fund.
Vaughn, who co-created the concept, owns the film rights to The Secret Service. The Hollywood Reporter writes that if Vaughn picks this movie he’s likely pen the adaptation with Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class co-writer Jane Goldman.
The other choice is Superior, Millar and artist Leinil Francis Yu‘s Icon Comics series about a young comic book geek with multiple sclerosis. He’s granted a magical wish to be transformed into his favorite superhero, Superior, but soon learns that his new powers come at a steep cost. Vaughn picked up the movie rights to the book earlier this month, and will reportedly supervise the script but won’t write it himself. Neither project has any screenwriters attached at this point.
I enjoy Vaughn a lot, I will probably end up seeing whatever one of these he decides to direct. I just wish the good man would work with some more interesting source material, perhaps even dare to drift back in the direction of Layer Cake. Maybe. Please?