The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Jamie Foxx will play Spawn (aka Al Simmons) in the dark superhero film of the same name. Foxx has been rumored to be attached to the project for some time. Todd McFarlane will also make his directorial debut on the reboot of the franchise in which he conceived. Read the full story here on THR.
AFJ'S TAKE: This is great news for the franchise. Foxx is an Academy Award-winning actor who has an incredible range. It is also a huge boost for McFarlane, owner and creator of the property as he is planning to fund the film himself. With a star of Foxx's magnitude attached it should be easy for McFarlane to get the money he needs to fund a superhero story of this magnitude. Especially in the era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The 1997 film showed great promise but was bogged down by poor special effects. Check out the trailer below. Outside of the comic, Spawn also had a dark cartoon series on HBO. Hopefully, the film will be more in-tuned with that visual property, as well as its comic book roots.
Who is Spawn? According to the Image Comics Wiki:
"Spawn is a Hellspawn sent to Earth to deliver evil souls to Hell. However, Spawn became the psuedo-protector of New York City, fighting against Heaven and Hell alike. The legacy of Hellspawns spans throughout history tapping into the enigmatic Necroplasm and evil creatures - such as worms, bats, and wolves - to gain their powers. Medieval Spawn was one of the original Hellspawn and was slain by Angela, a seraphic warrior. Albert Simmons was the Spawn of the 90s. He sacrificed himself to free himself from the eternal tortue but re-animated James Downing as a result of his action. Jim took up the mantel of Hellspawn for several years until Al's return in 2015.
Spawn was created by Todd McFarlane in his original incarnation. He first appeared in Spawn #1 (1992). The modern version was created by Paul Jenkins, Todd McFarlaneand Jonboy Meyers, first appearing in Spawn #250".
Film Trailer
Cartoon Trailer