WARNER BROS. TAPS JONAH HEX FOR FILM TREATMENT

[MattBrady]

On a certain level, DC Comics’ revival of Jonah Hex, helmed by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, can be considered a success, as today The Hollywood Reporter announced that Warner Bros. Pictures has added the cowboy anti-hero to its film slate. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor - the writers/directors of Crank have been tapped to adapt the property.

The character was originally created by John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga, and first appeared in All-Star Western #10 (1972), and graduated into his own title in 1977, which ran for 92 issues – roughly ten years. The character was then moved into Hex, which twisted the approach to the character, shunting him into a post-apocalyptic future, and giving him Mad Max overtones. Vertigo claimed Jonah Hex for three miniseries (1993, 1995, and 1999 - it was the portrayal of two albino brothers in one of the miniseries, Riders of the Worm and Such, which saw the Winter Brothers bring a lawsuit against DC for defamation, among other charged. A judge later ruled in favor of the defendants, although an appeal had a muddier ending.) written by Joe R. Lansdale with art by Tim Truman which injected the property with supernatural elements.

The current, non Comics Code approved series was launched in 2005, and has been met by critical acclaim as well as solid sales for a Western published in the Direct Market.

According to the trade, the film version won’t be a straight adaptation of the current series, but will develop the character with some supernatural overtones in the hopes of creating a franchise.

[NightRiver]

Great news for Hex fans. Now who will you pick to portray Jonah? My vote goes to Vigo Mortenson.(sp?)

[coldwarmyth]

as long as they don't use stuff from the current series. I wish I could like that book, but I don't.

At any rate, my choice for Hex: Bill Moseley. He's craggy already and can do the major make up thing and the southern accent if need be. Rather see Hex worn and cragged rather than half handsome and half ugly.

[tralfaz]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

According to the trade, the film version won’t be a straight adaptation of the current series, but will develop the character with some supernatural overtones in the hopes of creating a franchise.

Then why bother calling it Jonah Hex then? Why not just call it Ghost Cowboy? I swear, Fuck Hollywood and their need to "tweak" the original material into something completely different.

And the CRANK writing/directing team?

[Korvac]

Originally Posted by tralfaz

Then why bother calling it Jonah Hex then? Why not just call it Ghost Cowboy? I swear, Fuck Hollywood and their need to "tweak" the original material into something completely different.

And the CRANK writing/directing team?

No no, they can call it 'Constantine on a Horse'.

[jccalhoun]

Well the Vertigo miniseries had "supernatural elements" so it could mean that the movie will be more like that than like the current series.

While I liked Crank, I'm having a hard time seeing a Jonah Hex movie from those guys.

[Fazhoul]

Originally Posted by tralfaz

Then why bother calling it Jonah Hex then? Why not just call it Ghost Cowboy? I swear, Fuck Hollywood and their need to "tweak" the original material into something completely different.

And the CRANK writing/directing team?

This is almost as bad an idea as Seth Rogen playing the Green Hornet.

[delltechdude]

hollywood always "adapts" comics, some for the better, some for the worse. i have a wait and see policy when it comes to these, lord knows, I could be in for a pleasant surprise with this one. if they "adapt" any of the series, I'd love the 2nd vertigo series to be done.

[Evil Twin]

Yeah, it sounds more like following the direction of the Lansdale/Truman Vertigo books. Playing up the Weird Western aspects. I think that's an o.k. move for an adaptation in order to distinguish it from being merely a Clint Eastwood riff.

[mattiemanmd]

Originally Posted by coldwarmyth

as long as they don't use stuff from the current series. I wish I could like that book, but I don't.

At any rate, my choice for Hex: Bill Moseley. He's craggy already and can do the major make up thing and the southern accent if need be. Rather see Hex worn and cragged rather than half handsome and half ugly.

BRILLIANT!!! Is there a spot for Sid Haig in there too? Haven't read any Hex since the first Veritgo series back in the day...

[hlbimage]

Originally Posted by NightRiver

Great news for Hex fans. Now who will you pick to portray Jonah? My vote goes to Vigo Mortenson.(sp?)

I'm with you on Vigo Mortenson playing Jonah Hex. Can't wait for this movie. Maybe this character can get Western movies back into theaters again like the glory days..

[batlash]

I would love to see a Jonah Hex movie in the style of the Joe Lansdale/Tim Truman take on the character. (And for that matter, it's high time DC/Vertigo got all of the LansdaleTruman Hex books out in trade editions!) The current incarnation is just bland and uninteresting. I've tried to like it over and over again, but it just falls flat for me every time. Finally had to bail.

[BTX]

"High Plains Drifter" the best Jonah Hex movie never made. I hope this one has a good "spaghetti" feel. How 'bout Keifer Sutherland in the lead. He's old enough now.

BTX

[jsf]

Two things to say about this (and I hope DC and Warner bros. are checking this thread):

1) This is great news. Jonah Hex is one of the few properties DC has which, if handled correctly, has an appeal that goes well beyond the confines of a comic audience. Westerns -- when they're well told -- resonate with a broad swath of the population.

2) No supernatural elements. Sorry, but that statement, which is almost hidden away in the text of the article, shows that whoever's pitching this DOESN'T understand the character. For this to be broadly appealing -- for it to work -- it has to avoid the sort of stupidities which will earmark it as a "comic movie." Anything supernatural -- in a WESTERN -- will immediately do this, and probably narrow the movie's appeal.

I just picked up and have been reading through the Showcase volume, and have been completely blown away by it. One of the most striking things about the original stories -- which has been lacking in the current series -- is just how LONELY a character Hex is. Albano's Hex clearly wants friends, company, a place to "call home" ... but is repeatedly rebuffed, taken advantage of, and generally mistreated. This is what makes him sympathetic, and is the emotional anchor that the audience needs to latch onto the stories. As much as I love what Palmiotti and Gray have been doing, their take on Hex is one that often falls a bit flat, emotionally, as Hex is nothing more than a cipher who kills people: 1) for money, or 2) because they've crossed him. Albano's Hex is someone who is stoic, not cynical, and hard edged because he's actually emotionally vulnerable. The difference between the two versions is that striking, and part of the reason I think many fans have slowly been wandering away from the title. Interesting plots ... a bit two-dimensional on the characterization.

For this movie to succeed, it'll need to hit up Albano and DeZuniga's vision, which is neither a "supernatural" cowboy nor a scarfaced riff on the "Man with no Name".

[genetic freak]

Originally Posted by BTX

"High Plains Drifter" the best Jonah Hex movie never made. I hope this one has a good "spaghetti" feel. How 'bout Keifer Sutherland in the lead. He's old enough now.

BTX

I liked this idea!


Hope the movie is good. I am wishing it to be good!

[KingPagla]

Originally Posted by tralfaz

And the CRANK writing/directing team?

Hey at least Mark Steven Johnson ain't involved.
Hopefully the Crank guys will get some help with the script to add some depth. If so, it could be a damn good movie.

[cap infinity]

I'd be excited if Warner Bros. would actually produce any of the dozen or so comic movies they've announced over the last couple of years.

[Evil@work]

Vigo's got my vote as well.

[glennsim2003]

I'll be interested to see if they go easy on the scarring. I don't know if I could watch an hour and a half of a guy with a big hole in his cheek (or however you define that bit of skin connecting his top and bottom lips). It's OK in the comic, but to see it "real" - ugh.

[Devster]

Originally Posted by jccalhoun

While I liked Crank, I'm having a hard time seeing a Jonah Hex movie from those guys.

Yeah, I liked Crank too, but can't see it, even after listening to their commentary on Crank to get an idea about what they're like.

Many actors could play the part given enough craggy makeup - it's hard to figure what age range they'd be going for. Vinnie Jones (pic) might work.

[seethruhero]

If it's not a direct adaptation of the newest series (which is constantly one of the BEST things either of the big two is producing,) then I have no interest in it.


I want nothing to do with a supernatural Hex. I don't understand why Hollywood has to change things around so much in hopes of making what is already amazing, better. It just doesn't work.

[OM]

...The Crank team? I can see it now:

"Jonah Hex has roamed the Wild West for years, hunting down bad men and generally making the West safe for everyone but the lawless. However, when he runs afoul of a Chinese tong attempting to take over all of the laundries and restaurants in old San Francisco, they decide to put an end to Jonah by slipping him some special imported saki - saki that contains a drug that will kill Jonah when his adrenline goes below a certain level. Can Jonah either find a cure and/or kill those who're killing him before he dies? And just how wild will all those high-speed CGI horse chases and Matrix-style gunfights with six-shooters against kung-fu assassins look on screen?"

Originally Posted by Matty Brady

ording to the trade, the film version won’t be a straight adaptation of the current series, but will develop the character with some supernatural overtones in the hopes of creating a franchise.

...Whoops! Make that a sequel to Big Trouble in Little China, then, as Jonah takes on Lo Pan

[SpyGuy]

I think Nathan (FIREFLY) Fillion would be perfect for this.

As for the supernatural angle, I think it's completely unnecessary but at least it's not an adaptation of the HEX series with Jonah as an out-of-his-time Road Warrior.

[friday13fan]

The current Jonah Hex series has never fallen flat for me; I love it. If the supernatural elements are subtle in the movie and don't take over (sort of the way El Diablo is handled in the current series), then I think I will probably enjoy the movie.

[Kevin T. Brown]

Originally Posted by tralfaz

Then why bother calling it Jonah Hex then? Why not just call it Ghost Cowboy? I swear, Fuck Hollywood and their need to "tweak" the original material into something completely different.

And the CRANK writing/directing team?

Quoted for truth.

While I would love to take a "wait & see" attitude, the moment I read, "According to the trade, the film version won’t be a straight adaptation of the current series, but will develop the character with some supernatural overtones in the hopes of creating a franchise," is the moment I lost any and all interest.

Next we'll be reading that either Eddie Murphy or Will Smith will be cast as Jonah Hex.