Todd McFarlane Promises “True Trauma” in New Spawn Movie

When he’s not producing concept art or running McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane Entertainment, the co-founder of Image Comics and creator of Spawn is working hard at bringing his hell-powered anti-hero back to the big screen in a low budget — only $10 million! — adaptation that he is writing and directing himself. McFarlane said in a recent interview that the script is done and casting is underway, but that it “won’t be a superhero movie” so much as a “supernatural thriller.” He promised that it’s going to be much more gruesome than recent R-rated comic book adaptations:

We don’t want to muddy the waters. It’s R-rated. Not like ‘Deadpool,’ where there was just a couple F-bombs and a naked butt. Not like ‘Logan’ either…We’re talking trauma, true trauma, as serious as possible.

McFarlane also revealed that the movie won’t actually star Spawn as the lead character; in fact, the doomed anti-hero doesn’t even get any lines:

I like to explain that it’s my ‘Jaws.’ Spawn doesn’t say a word the entire movie, and it’s the same way with ‘Jaws.’ It’s about the sheriff and the people, chasing the ghost. That’s it…The lead role isn’t Spawn, the lead role is a cop, like Sheriff Brody from ‘Jaws.’ I think we can hook a fairly significant actor that we want. Unlike a superhero movie, we wouldn’t need an actor to put on prosthetic (makeup) or go to the gym. We just need him to act.

Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions (Get Out, Insidious) are producing the as-yet-untitled movie, with Universal Pictures distributing. The movie does not yet have a release date.