Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are working on a new comic book adaptation in the form of Invincible, based on Robert Kirkman's comic series. Rogen and Goldberg made their big screen directorial debut together with the apocalyptic comedy This is the End and will be teaming with The Walking Dead creator Kirkman (as well as Universal Pictures) next - for a project that's about an invincible superhero and not the apocalypse, zombie or otherwise.
After the success of This is the End, the directing team of Rogen and Goldberg hit a rough patch when threats emerged from North Korea over the controversial portrayal of leader Kim Jong Un in The Interview. Rogen and Goldberg's new project, however, is far-less controversial and serves as the big screen version of Kirkman's second-longest running comic book series, behind The Walking Dead.
According to THR, Rogen and Goldberg have signed up to write, direct and produce a movie based on Kirkman's Invincible, which has been in publication since 2003. The Image Comics series follows the exploits of high schooler Mark Grayson, whose father, Omni-Man, happens to be the most powerful superhero on Earth - and Mark will inherit those powers too. Here is Kirkman's statement, regarding the Invincible movie:
“For nearly a decade I've had to endure the ‘what about Invincible?’ question as fans have watched The Walking Dead grow into the multi-media monstrosity it has become over the years. The answer was always that we were waiting for the right team to partner with. That team has arrived! The esteemed misters Goldberg and Rogen have proven themselves to be top-notch directors with a keen collective eye for stunning visuals after slumming it by writing hit after juggernaut hit.”
While Rogen and Goldberg have never directed a superhero movie, Kirkman still feels the director team has the mettle to pull off Invincible. Both are huge comic book fans, though, and successfully adapted Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's comic Preacher for a TV show on AMC. Plus, it seems apparent to Kirkman that with This is the End, The Interview and screenplay for Sausage Party to their credit, Rogan and Goldberg aren't afraid of taking risks. Kirkman tells THR:
“Invincible's surprising, edgy, shocking, and oftentimes blood-soaked story couldn't be in more capable hands. With the team of Rogen, Goldberg and Universal, I'm very confident this will be another superhero movie, in a long line of superhero movies that continues to prove that it's a viable, thrilling genre that will keep people coming to the cinema for years to come.”
Kirkman is producing Invincible, and in a joint statement, Rogen and Goldberg are determined not to let the comic book magnate down:
"No matter how much damage it causes our bodies, minds, and our most intimate relationships with those we love, we will not rest until Invincible is as great a movie as it deserves to be.”
While Rogen and Goldberg had a previous misfire in the comic book movie realm before with as the writers of 2011's The Green Hornet – which also starred Rogen in the title role – don't look for the team to stumble in their adaptation of Invincible. In the six years since The Green Hornet, the duo have had time to cut their teeth as filmmakers and learn from past mistakes.
Adapting Invincible will not be easy, since as of Tuesday's announcement, there are 133 issues of the comic that have been published. Like the creatives behind The Walking Dead, Rogen and Goldberg will face tough choices with a bevy of storylines to sort out, and the dreaded decision of which characters will not make the big screen. At least they'll have Kirkman to help shepherd Invincible as those critical choices are made.
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Source: THR