Imagine Agents - a live-action adaptation from Boom! Studios comics - has found its director. Imagine Agents joins Goldie Vance, and Lumberjanes, other film properties from the comic company. In the wake of superhero properties becoming big draws at the box office, studios are beginning to look to other popular comics, hoping to discover the next big thing to hit the big screen.
Imagine Agents could very well be just that. The story centers around a world where children's imaginary friends are policed by a special agency. A child and their imaginary friend are kidnapped by a rogue imaginary friend that materialized in the real world. The boy's mother must work with a pair of agents to track down her son, while her son learns that he must battle against an army of imaginary friends who have materialized in our world and represent a worldwide threat.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film has brought in Richie Keen from the Ice Cube and Charlie Day comedy Fist Fight to direct. Shawn Levy - the director-producer behind Stranger Things and Night at the Museum - also joins a production team that includes Micheal Keaton, Michael Sugar, and Boom! Studios' Ross Richie. Adam Yoelin is overseeing the project for Boom!. The film's most recent script draft came from Simon Rich, best known for the Pixar hit Inside Out.
Imagine Agents was originally published in 2013 by writer Brian Joines and artist Bachan. The projects centers around a Men in Black-type storyline, which makes it different from Boom's other two properties currently in development. The film has the potential to be a fun and family-friendly take on more serious stories about government agents, giving younger kids an opportunity to feel empowered.
Having Simon Rich - the mind behind Bing Bong from Inside Out - is also a smart move, giving the film a gravitas that will appeal to adults while the bright colors and story should appeal to children. Out of all the companies looking to adapt comic properties to the screen, Boom! Studios could be poised to make a great deal of money thanks to appealing to younger and more inclusive audiences.
As for Keen - whose experience includes It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Mick - his experience directing more adult comedic material suggests that older audiences will also find things to enjoy in Imagine Agents. Combine that with Levy's experience working with child actors on Stranger Things, and they seem poised to deliver something special. With a team like that, Imagine Agents is sure to be a project to keep an eye on if you're a comic book fan.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter