Frank Miller Seeks the Spirit of ‘The Spirit’
July 27, 2008
From NYTimes:
This weekend in San Diego at Comic-Con International, the nation’s biggest comic convention, the industry grants its highest achievers Eisner Awards, the Oscars of the field. Yet few outside fandom have any idea who the honor is named after. The task of enlightening them has fallen to Frank Miller, a superstar comic writer-artist now making a film adaptation of the Spirit, the best-known creation of the cartoonist Will Eisner.
It’s a fitting match. Mr. Miller, 51, viewed Eisner as a mentor in the many years they knew each other (Eisner died in 2005 at 87), though their long relationship was certainly fraught with arguments across aesthetic and generational lines.
The film — starring Eva Mendes, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and an unknown, Gabriel Macht, in the title role — follows the Spirit, a droll, dashing, graveyard-dwelling ex-cop who fights evildoers. It embodies the comic’s urban, shadow-drenched aesthetic, which deeply influenced Mr. Miller’s visual sensibility.
He and Eisner shared a pronounced independent streak as well. Eisner “would never countenance self-pity in anyone, including himself,” Mr. Miller said. Nor does Mr. Miller, despite the pressures he is facing. For his first time alone behind the cameras he is commanding a budget in the $50 million range and a feature aimed at a Christmas opening. And while his hero occupies a hallowed place in comics history, he is far from a household name.
On your knees then, Scarlett Johansson! New poster from The Spirit!
June 15, 2008
Click to make bigger! What a hot picture!
Crazy Sexy Eva Mendes The Spirit Poster
June 9, 2008
Frank Miller Addresses The Untraditional Look of ‘The Spirit’
June 1, 2008
“Now, about that blue suit.
Comic books have long traditions based on the limitations of pre-digital printing. Among these are traditions from the old newsprint-run-through-letterpress approach (yes, comics have been—and still do–follow tradition that dates all the way back to Gutenberg!). Bad printing on pulp paper is why it was necessary for every superhero to have his emblem printed on his chest, and that everything that’s black be printed in blue. Hence Superman’s preposterous blue hair. And the Spirit’s blue hat, mask, and suit.
In tests—and we did several—the blue made the Spirit look like an unfortunate guest at a Halloween party. Going to black brings back his essential mystery, his Zorro-like sexiness. It also makes that red tie of his look very, very cool. So I made the call, with all respect to Eisner’s creation, and most importantly, to what I perceived as his underlying intention. It was an easy call for me to make. The Spirit dresses in black, and looks much the better for it. As I said, my desire was never to slavishly follow the rules of ’40s printing into campy oblivion, but to reintroduce Eisner’s creation, via modern technology, to our brave new world.
And THE SPIRIT as some sort of SIN CITY REDUX? No, SIN CITY, that one’s my own baby, folks, and it looks the way it does for its own reasons. THE SPIRIT is, and will always be, Eisner’s SPIRIT. Anybody watching me on the set could attest that I very frequently drew a storyboard for a given shot first as I saw it, then as Will might’ve seen in—and, in every case, went with what I saw as Will’s version.”
- Frank Miller from Superhero Hype
Lionsgate moves up Frank Miller’s The Spirit
May 7, 2008
Lionsgate has decided to move the release date of Frank Miller’s adaptation of Will Eisner’s The Spirit up from January 16th next year to Christmas Day (December 25th 2008). Apparently Lionsgate’s president Tom Ortenberg decided to change the release date after he saw the reaction to the film’s teaser trailer at the New York Comic Con. And I’m sure Paramount’s decision to move Star Trek from that date to Summer 2009 (May 8th) had nothing to do with this decision. - From /Film
Comic book geeks, there’s hope for you yet.
April 20, 2008
ITEM: Eva Mendes and comic book genius Frank Miller at “The Spirit” Preview at New York ComicCon.
FACT: This is the closest anyone who reads comics, or in the comic book industry, will ever get to a girl this smokin’ hot. Read more
Eva Mendes as Sand Saref in The Spirit
April 19, 2008
Frank Miller’s ‘The Spirit’ Trailer
April 19, 2008
The Spirit Poster
April 18, 2008
As we continue to promote Frank Miller’s The Spirit, here’s more pics of Scarlett Johansson
April 9, 2008
We love Will Eisner’s The Spirit. And, we love Frank Miller — having grown up supping from his comic teet with Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns. But your average 16-30 year old movie goer says WTF is the Spirit?! That’s why we’re spreading the word, educating our readers on the coolness of Will Eisner. We want to get people excited about this movie… Enjoy…
Read more
UPDATED: Leaked pic of sexy nurse Scarlett Johansson from The Spirit. And no, we will not take down the pics, Lionsgate. But thanks for the legal threat.
April 9, 2008
Scarlett plays a femme fatale named Silk N. Floss in Frank Miller’s The Spirt, and her name and outfit are any indication, this will be one sexy character.
Read more
“Frank Miller Has Spirit, Yes He Does. Do You, Do You? Goooo Team!”
March 4, 2008
“So let me sing the praises of actors. I challenge anybody to match the intelligence of Dan Laura, Bruce Willis, Carla Gugino, or Scarlett Johansson. I dare anybody to challenge the wisdom and gravitas exuded by the sheet presence of actors like Rutger Hauer or Powers Booth.”
Spirit director Frank Miller via the Spirit Blog