Todd McFarlane’s Spawn Movie Gets New Writer

Todd McFarlane has brought on a new writer for his Spawn film in Brian Tucker. THR reports that Tucker, who wrote the 2013 neo-noir crime thriller Broken City, will come on board to write the script for the long-gestating film.

McFarlane originally wrote the film and is still set to direct and produce it. The project is set up at Blumhouse and has been moving slowly forward since June of 2017, when McFarlane was announced to direct. Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner were previously set to play the titular character and Detective Twitch and while it’s unclear if they’re still attached, THR notes that once the script is done they may be re-approached to star.

McFarlane has said that the film will be R rated, unlike the 1997 film which was PG-13. The property follows Albert Simmons, a black-ops agent who is betrayed and murdered. He ends up in hell and makes a deal with the demon Malebolgia to return to earth, becoming Spawn and a key figure in the battle between heaven and hell.