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“Spawn” is a seminal property in pop culture history. As it marks the first creator owned comic work of Writer/Artist and Image Comics Co-Founder, Todd McFarlane, and is also one of the keystones in both publisher, Image Comics, history and their decades long success.
Telling the ongoing (333 issues at the time of writing, not including the “King Spawn” series, and other “Spawn Universe” titles past and present) story of former US Marine and CIA Assassin, Al Simmons, as he battles Hell, Heaven, and everyone in between who seek to harm the innocent or who don’t care when the innocent get caught in the crossfire of their battles.
The series has captured the imaginations of the public for over 30 years and has seen the character appear in his own live action movie starring Michael Jai White, Martin Sheen, and John Leguizamo. As well as a celebrated animated series starring Keith David, in addition to numerous video game appearances in several popular franchises such as the “SoulCalibur“, and “Mortal Kombat” video game series’.
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Now, in the character’s 30th anniversary year, his creator, Todd McFarlane, has teased a major announcement regarding the next “Spawn” movie which will serve not only as a cinematic reboot of the character, but will mark McFarlane’s directorial debut.
Read on for absolutely everything you need to know, from Spawn’s comic origins, to everything we know so far about this next movie.
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Latest News
05/10/2022:
As reported first by The Hollywood Reporter who were given the exclusive on this news.
Writers, Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter, Joker), Malcolm Spellman (Empire, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Bel-Air), and rising writer, Matthew Mixom, will be writing a brand new script for the movie, presumably creating a new story for the movie that will hew closer to the source comic books, given Silver and Mixom’s filmographies.
As, up until this announcement, McFarlane had remained firm on both writing and directing the movie with the intention of making it a small budget supernatural horror thriller. But, speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, it seems that McFarlane will be stepping back from the directors chair for the movie in addition to relinquishing the writing of the movie’s script, as he stated:
“If we’ve got an A-list actor, A-list producers, A-list writers, then do you want to shoot for A-list directors, A-list cinematographers?” McFarlane tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The answer is, ‘of course.’ Let’s keep the momentum going.”
04/10/2022:
After 17 years of failed starts and delays, it seems like there could (hopefully) finally be some forward movement on the planned Spawn reboot, with Todd McFarlane tweeting out the below yesterday evening teasing an update on the project, that will be released today:
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When is the new movie released?
No official release date has been revealed yet for the movie, and given its production delays up till now, the earliest it will likely release will either be late 2023 or early 2024. But, it could just as easily be 2025 or 2026, unfortunately. As, without an official confirmation from Todd McFarlane, or Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions, all we can do is hope that the movie’s release is sooner rather than later.
Where I can watch the new movie?
Based on the most recent interviews with Todd McFarlane about the movie, the movie is intended for an exclusive theatrical release, with a release on home video and streaming platforms likely coming afterword.
What is the story of the new movie?
No official story synopsis or logline has been released for the movie yet, but, Todd McFarlane has remained consistent in every interview he’s given over the last 17 years that the movie is intended to be a small budget R Rated/18 Rating supernatural thriller with elements of horror. As McFarlane intends for Spawn to appear in the movie as a shadowy, seldom seen, bogeyman esque figure haunting the criminal underworld of New York. A figure whose mere mention inspires fear rather than being a figure who is seen in epic, large scale battles with his traditional comics’ enemies like “The Violator” or “Overt-Kill”.
As McFarlane has often stated that he is not interested in making a big budget modern comic book movie of Spawn as his first movie due to his belief that if he did, he would never be able to get the funding required for it. In addition to his belief that if he did secure funding for a big budget modern comic book movie style “Spawn” and the movie then underperformed at the box office, it would effectively end his hopes of creating a live action “Spawn Universe”.
Instead, as previously mentioned, McFarlane has remained firm in his intentions to make this first new “Spawn” movie a small budget supernatural horror thriller that would focus on the comics’ character, Detective “Twitch” Williams, as the lead of the movie. With Spawn then being showcased in the style of a traditional movie monster/boogeyman, wherein his presence is always felt throughout the movie even when he is not on screen.
What is the story of the Spawn comics?
The comics tell the ongoing story of Al Simmons, an elite CIA assassin, betrayed and killed by his comrade on the orders of their Commander, CIA Director, Jason Wynn, while they were on a mission in Botswana.
As a result, Al finds himself in the 8th Sphere of Hell, where the Demon Lord of the 8th Sphere, Malebolgia, offers Simmons a deal. He will send Simmons back to Earth so that he may be reunited with his wife and one true love, Wanda, but, when the time comes, he must serve as a Commander in Hell’s Army…
In his desperation to be reunited with Wanda, Simmons agrees to the deal, not realising until it’s too late and he’s been transported back to Earth what the consequences of his agreement are…
As Malebolgia had no intention of helping Simmons but instead does everything he can to drive him to evil so that he will return to Hell sooner. Beginning with returning him to Earth five years after his death with Wanda having grieved Al’s death, moved on with her life, falling in love with and marrying Simmons’ best friend, Terry Fitzgerald, with whom she has a young daughter, Cyan.
In addition, Simmons has to fight to regain his memories of his past life. As, like all Hellspawn returned to earth, his memory is deliberately left vague. Further adding to his misery, he finds that Malebolgia has not healed his body, instead leaving him covered in burnt flesh, making him unrecognisable to anyone who knew him before, and encasing him in his Hellspawn armour, a living symbiotic suit that responds to Simmon’s thoughts and commands, with one caveat.
The supernatural powers he has been gifted/cursed with following his resurrection, like all Hellspawn, have a counter that runs down with the more Necroplasm energy that is used.
Once this counter depletes, Simmons’ soul belongs to Malebolgia, and he will have no choice but to serve faithfully in Hell’s army in its war against Heaven.
The comics follow Simmons in his quest to find out who betrayed him and why, before taking his vengeance on them for destroying his life. While he searches for this information, he also has to contend with the forces of Hell sent by Malebolgia to torture him and push him further towards using his powers and thus hasten the loss of his soul, and his return to hell.
Chief among these antagonists from Hell is the terrifying, “The Violator”, who often takes the form of a demented and slobbish clown faced human known fittingly as “The Clown”, before revealing his true demonic form.
Simmons/Spawn fights against them all, and continues to fight, as he protects himself, his loved ones, and the homeless denizens of the New York Bowery Alleys that became his home upon his return to earth.
Who stars in the new “Spawn” movie?
At the time of writing, only two actors have been officially confirmed as appearing in the movie:
Jamie Foxx plays Al Simmons/Spawn
Jeremy Renner plays Detective “Twitch” Williams
“Spawn” FAQ
Is Spawn a Marvel or DC character?
No, “Spawn” does not originate from either company, but was created for Image Comics by Todd McFarlane, one of the company’s founders.
Is Spawn getting a movie?
Yes, “Spawn” is getting a brand new new live action movie directed by the comic’s creator, Todd McFarlane, and produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions.
Although, should you wish, you can also watch the 1997 “Spawn” movie which starred Michael Jai White, Martin Sheen, and John Leguizamo.
Who is playing Spawn?
In the upcoming reboot, Hollywood superstar, Jamie Foxx (Ray, Collateral, Django Unchained), will be playing Spawn/Al Simmons.
Previously Spawn was played by Michael Jai White in the 1997 movie, and by Keith David in the HBO animated series.
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