Spirit Shift

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Lionsgate has decided to open Frank Miller's The Spirit, an adaptation of Will Eisner's heavy-noir comic strip, on Christmas Day 2008 instead of 1.16.09. Pamela McClintock's 5.6 Variety story, quoting Lionsgate theatrical films chief Tom Ortenberg, says the decision to shift the film to 12.25 "came after the project was presented to fans at New York Comic-Con."

Scarlett Johansson as "Silken Floss" in Frank Miller's The Spirit

comment #1

giantman says ...

(Jeff - Is the picture wrong?)

Anyway, since Star Trek got moved to the following Summer the Christmas holiday was devoid of any action film opening, the move to bring the Spirit into that mix is a good one I think.

comment #2

actionman says ...

Very excited by this news; I love this sort of hyper-noir filmmaking.

comment #3

p.Vice says ...

Does anyone happen to know if Miller is capable of making a real movie instead of cranking out Sin City again?

comment #4

Edward says ...

A Noel Coward poster for the Spirit? Interesting marketing Jeff.

comment #5

redmond says ...

Probably the least interesting of the comic book movies coming out. Though my head is still reeling from D.Z.'s revelation that Matthew McConnaughey is being considered for Captain America. Not only that, the title will be "The First Avenger: Captain America." Marvel made that Iron Man money and immediately said "Let's jump those sharks, baby!"

comment #6

Mr. Blood Vessel says ...

p.Vice [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Does anyone happen to know if Miller is capable of making a real movie instead of cranking out Sin City again?

I read the comic and was devastated that rr turned it into a freak fest instead of a (somewhat good) story.
it obviously wasn't the third man or anything, but it did have some good plot points that the movie missed by a long shot.

comment #7

Ron Lim says ...

The Spirit was moved because they got scared away from their original date by Watchmen, which opens in February.

The Spirit looks nothing like the Spirit I know... it looks like Sin City 2.

comment #8

almirtovar says ...

Ron Lim is right. What i saw has nothing to do with the old and good Spirit. I haven?t read the new books - Darwyn Cooke, is that it? -, but the old ones are absolutely delicious. The movie is far, far, far from inspiring the same mood the comic book had.

comment #9

BurmaShave says ...

SIN CITY is great. Watch 300 to remember how wrong Miller can be interpreted.

comment #10

storymark says ...

"SIN CITY is great. Watch 300 to remember how wrong Miller can be interpreted."

I can understand not liking 300, but it is a pretty literal adaptation.

And I thought Watchmen was coming out in March, not February?

comment #11

D.Z. says ...

redmond: My pick for Captain America is that dude who played the Human Torch from Fantastic Four. Assuming he's not into being typecast in comic book films, though, Thomas Jane should get another shot.

Ron: The Spirit being dumped in January is dumb, since it's not one of those tent-pole films which would open big, like Hostel or Cloverfield. And I'm guessing if it gets released in December, it's gonna be PG-13. Watchmen costs too much to be released in February-March at the earliest.

comment #12

storymark says ...

I'm loathe to admit it, but I agree with DZ on Capt. America - Chris Evans would be pretty good in the role.

As for the Spirit in December, that'll make 2 comic movies, as the Punisher sequel is out that month as well (with an R rating).

comment #13

Rich S. says ...

He'd never do it, but Matt Damon would own Captain America. Hey, look what happened with Downey in Iron Man.

As I've said before, Miller's Spirit looks more like The Shadow in Sin City. That's a nice pic of ScarJo, though.

comment #14

Pelham123 says ...

Darwyn Cooke's recent run (12 issues) on "The Spirit" was brilliant (as is almost everything Cooke does.) I've read a few of Eisner's originals and neither looks like what the new trailer anticipates. I hate to say it, but I think Frank Miller has lost his mind (& not in a good "artistic" way.) I loved "Sin City", both the books and the movie, but to put the same grim hard-noir spin on "The Spirit" just seems completely off-kilter. Which is weird because Miller adores Will Eisner. They did a Hitchcock/Truffaut-type interview book a few years ago. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but those "my city screams" billboards doesn't give me much hope. That said, of course, I'll be handing my dough over to the box office cashier come December 2008.

comment #15

iamjoe says ...

Darwyn Cooke's run on The Spirit was very, very great; right in the very same tone of Eisner but yet with Cooke's sensibility. Frank Miller's movie looks to be strictly in the tone of Miller himself. I love his work; but everything he has done in the last 8 years has been in the same tone. That being said, I'll still be marching down to see this the day after Christmas.

comment #16

ferrylee says ...

Frank Miller's movie is great, I'm his big fun, just now I saw he has a personal account on a celebs and rich dating site~~ millionaireloves. co m~~, he talks his movie there , and there'r so many people contact him, he is there!

comment #17

Bob Violence says ...

I can't believe everyone is overlooking the obvious implication of a Christmas opening: Oscar here we come!

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