David Fincher Gets The Goon
Blur Studio, Dark Horse Entertainment Animates Eric Powell's Comic
Jul 3, 2008
Acclaimed director David Fincher (Se7en, Zodiac) is going to turn Eric Powell's The Goon into a CGI animated feature film. According to Powell's personal website, Fincher has optioned the movie rights for his award-winning horror comic, which will be animated by Blur Studio and produced by Dark Horse Entertainment.
There's been no date set for The Goon's theatrical release.
What's The Goon About?
The comic follows the adventures of the titular character, a Depression-era hard case who took over a notorious gangster's operations after beating in his head with a rock (said gangster had accidentally killed The Goon's Aunt Kizzie).
In the course of setting himself up as an underworld kingpin, The Goon is forced to go up against The Zombie Priest, an undead mobster who is building up an army of zombies, monsters and demons. This army of horrors includes the Communist Airborne Mollusk Militia (a squadron of Francophone octopi who operate their personal zeppelin), hordes of giant squid, and the Skunk Ape, a sasquatch-like creature with a fondness for blueberry pie.
The Goon has his own allies: his sidekick Franky, the mad scientist Dr. Hieronymous Alloy, and Buzzard, a former sheriff and sworn enemy of the Zombie Priest, who craves undead flesh.
Powell started The Goon in 1999 for Avatar Press, but later switched to Dark Horse in 2003, after creative issues with Avatar caused Powell to self-publish the comic for a while. Since joining Dark Horse Comics, The Goon has won the Eisner award 3 times: Best Single Issue/Single Story in 2004 (tied with Conan the Legend #0), and two wins, for Best Continuing Series and Best Humour Publication, in 2005.
The Goon not Fincher's Only CGI Film Project
Apparently FIncher has a reputation for getting the rights to comics, and other properties, and then sitting on them for several years. In addition to The Goon, Fincher also has The Black Hole, Arthur C. Clarke's classic science fiction novel Rendezvous With Rama, the European hitman comic The Killer (which may need a name change), and the Eliot Ness murder-mystery comic The Torso in development.
Fincher also plans to make another Heavy Metal movie, in association with Blur Studio, Paramount Pictures and Heavy Metal magazine publisher Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Fincher recently worked with Blur, and his Se7en/Fight Club star Brad Pitt, on a recent Softbank commercial.
Fun Fact: At one point, Hellboy made an appearance in The Goon universe. Dark Horse also produces the Mike Mignola comic, which has spawned 2 live-action theatrical movies and a pair of direct-to-DVD animated releases.
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