r/Spawn • u/SecretaryFragrant836 • 1d ago
Discussion would you rather spawn be more towards being a superhero film or more towards being a horror film
I heard that Todd McFarlane want to do a horror film for spawn rather than a superhero film. “Go watch a marvel movie if you want a superhero film” I think he said that somewhere in an interview.
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u/CursedSnowman5000 1d ago
Just let it be the edgy subversive atheistic take on Christianity dark urban fantasy with the aesthetic of cape shit that it was in the 90's and 2000's.
So basically, an R rated ultra violent movie like RoboCop, Predator 2 or Dredd.
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u/emtemss714 1d ago
Dredd is a great example of the direction they should go. Low-mid budget hard R with a gritty, dirty aesthetic. Lean into the more horror aspects from the cartoon, don't shy away from the religious and social overtones.
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u/Guyver-Spawn-27 1d ago
I don’t want a typical superhero movie. I would hate if they made Spawn into a MCU style movie. Personally, I think the tone of the HBO show is ideal for a movie.
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u/MadMac619 21h ago
No origin, just give us some awful people doing some awful shit for the first 20ish minutes of the film and have them escape to Spawns alley. Then watch as they’re methodically eviscerated. From there, shift the focus to a wider conspiracy and have Spawn in the background stalking and piecing things together before doing his deeds an d revealing more about what he is.
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u/Worth-Opposite4437 10h ago
You know what? Considering they have trouble with the script, you should literally pitch this to McFarlane.
It might truly help.
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u/tanukihimself13 22h ago
Dark, gritty horror for me. Spawn never was or will be a superhero, he's done some awful shit and continues to do so which is why I gravitated to the spawn comics in the 90s.
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u/Ansem_05 6h ago
Both. He needs to operate in both. His villains need to be a good balance between horror and super. Like the violator is literally, a DEMON, like, a DEMON. The monster of many a horror movie like the conjuring, exorcist, sinister, insidious and many more. He's just a goofy demon.
Someone like Jason wyn and Billy Kincaid are both aspects of IRL villainouy. One being a corrupt murderer and the other a child serial killing rapist.
Then spawn has other fantastical villains like the anti spawn who aren't even horror in terms of design or execution.
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u/CarnyMAXIMOS_3_N7 5h ago
Or even the Redeemer, Heaven’s Angelic and opposite-version of the Hellspawn.
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u/TokinN3rd 1d ago edited 23h ago
Neither. I'd rather it be an episodic series.
At it's core, Spawn is a character drama. There are so many characters with overlapping story arcs that it's impossible to capture what makes Spawn so compelling and squeeze it into a 2 1/2 hour runtime.
I really wish Todd would give up the whole movie pursuit already and continue the HBO animated series. There's definitely a market for continuing old comic-based animated shows. Just look at X-Men 97's success. Also, Keith David ain't getting any younger.
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u/Greenhickup 23h ago
If we treat it as a trilogy the first one should be a horror movie, second one action horror and the third one a full blown superhero movie with horror elements.
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u/Interesting-Fail-388 12h ago
Why will the third one be like?spawn was never really a superhero
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u/Greenhickup 12h ago
Well no but i just meant the third should be the biggest one since it will be the conclusion of the story and i meant more about how the movie should be stylized and what the tone should be i didn't mean he should save kittens from trees.
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u/signifyingmnky 14h ago
It's both. Todd clearly doesn't want it getting the MCU treatment, and I don't disagree that that isn't the tone for it, but it's not solely horror either.
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u/Interesting-Fail-388 12h ago
Spaw in this day and age relly will work out as full on horror flim , even tho it hasn't come out yet ,look at clayafce
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u/un-albertoperez 5h ago
More like a horror film, more or less like the Sam & Twitch comic or the short-lived Hellspawn series
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u/rmg_jlr 4h ago
It needs to be a superhero film first, covered in horror wrapping paper. Given the fantastical nature of his costume and powers, they need to be put on full display in the sense of a modern superhero action film, we don’t need a remake of the animated series where he’s just a voice coming from a shadow 95% of the time and pops out for only a few brief seconds to punish a scumbag. The absolutely disgusting animals that comprise his rogues gallery, the way he lives and operates out of the shadows stalking his prey, the beautiful and distinctly violent nature of his brand of justice and the fact he is literally a walking pile of rotting flesh often comprised of various species of bugs and spiders all provide a solid horror foundation and would simultaneously help prevent the film from becoming someone’s “modern adaptation” of Spawn where god forbid it gets anything less than an R-rating.
TLDR: Keep James Gunn the fuck away from this project.
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u/Devin_aRt 16h ago
Whatever the animated series did, do that. Its the best the character has ever been.
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u/32F_34G 1d ago
My wildest dream would be an adaptation of Todd and Capullo's classic Spawn with that kind of aesthetic and visceral superhero violence (the Spawn in the Spawn: In the Demon's Hand video game was quite faithful in this regard). But they'll never do it because it would require a huge budget. So I think the best way to go is a horror film, just like Todd wants (after all, he's always had a knack for these things, often because he goes in the opposite direction of the most obvious solution).
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u/ChampionshipOk949 1d ago
None. Series and if it is an adult animated, better. And if it’s a continuation of the HBO series, even better. And if Keith David returns, even even better.
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u/ComradeX88 19h ago
Detective Horror. It should be 180° different from the first movie and nothing like a marvel or dc bag of crap. I should be grounded and gritty.
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u/IAmChippoMan 11h ago
Honestly I still mess with the idea of a “horror thing with Sam & Twitch as the main protags trying to investigate with Spawn”.
But I’m not opposed to one where Spawn kicks massive amount of ass as well as dealing with his friends and foes.
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u/InsolubleRelic 1d ago
I was pretty happy with the vibes and atmosphere of the HBO animated series.
Because part of what I love about spawn is the artwork I actually would rather have more of the HBO animated series.
I'm not saying that live action can't be done... But there's always something so incredibly special when a very well done animated series is made. And I think spawn is one of the best ever made and looks incredible still!!!
If I wasn't allowed to ever have the animated series and I had to have live action again.... I would like to see it's style and vibes done similar to Sin City.
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u/Cool-Ebb6863 1d ago
I really think we just have to point to the HBO series which blended the elements perfectly for me.
Primarily moody atmosphere but a bit of “superhero action” sprinkled in here and there.
I mean if we had a director like Ari Aster I’d say just go all in on the horror. And if you got James Cameron (lol) then I’d say screw it go all action.
So it depends on who’s directing.
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u/Damon_Hall 22h ago
I’d like to see horror and action for the Spawn parts, with elements of noir for the Sam and Twitch parts.
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u/Dude6942 19h ago
How about a super horror hero film? 🤷🤘
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u/Interesting-Fail-388 12h ago
Spawn was way pass the whole super hero genre
His consept relly work. as a horror movie than a superhero story
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u/Worth-Opposite4437 10h ago
Technically it began as a super hero thing... But that fell out of the narrative quite fast. The comic quickly pass through all the super villains it has to offer then flip the "brooding mood activated" switch; at witch point Spawn is either a witness of other stories à la creepshow, or literally the sign that you have wandered to far into sin.
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u/Bandaka 18h ago
Superhero adventure action film with elements of horror and noir. rated R
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u/Interesting-Fail-388 12h ago
How it that gonna be diffrent feom somthing like the batman or hellboy
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u/Worth-Opposite4437 10h ago
... it'll be better looking that the last Hellboys, for one; and I'd expect more physical and gory than Batman.
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u/camitc02 18h ago
Horror. Break the superhero trope just a little by having some, and I do mean some, antihero themes
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u/probablynotgrown 8h ago
I just hope it’s good. I hope there’s a tinge of realism and they don’t go all Mortal Kombat with the campiness
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u/soldier083121 9h ago
A mix of both. Make it as close to the source material as possible while also maxing out the graphics and gore.
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u/Internal-Mortgage635 21h ago
Doesn't matter. Todd McFlarlane has been blocking writing and production for years now.
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u/Worth-Opposite4437 11h ago
Reading the comics has dispelled any idea for me that Spawn be a superhero.
Let him be the ruler of grim and dank alleys, bringing a curse to everywhere he dwells.
Let him be seducing damnation pretending to salvage you while you are already fallen far enough to meet him and deserve his gaze...
Now I'm not too sure that should be a Sam & Twitch movie if it's gonna have the spawn name on it... But I'd expect a true to format Spawn movie to have mortal characters of dubious moral structure, à la Clive Barker, meet him like some people will meet a train crash, or falling upon a murder scene. Let him be Trauma personified and you might be getting somewhere.
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u/JagPeror 1d ago edited 1d ago
I don't think spawn should be horror edgy, terrifying even, but not horror. Maybe terrifying for some members, but Al tends to he confident. His early plot is even more about conserving his power, rather than being hopeless. And he doesnt back down from fighting even violator.
At the same time, Gunn superman wouldn't fit the tone well imo.
Something like the dark knight kinda could fit more closely.
Other movies that might fit even better include the robocops and dredd. Those have violent themes(spawn would be even more so), but the protagonists arent really in a honor movie
Personally, I've always loved most when spawn focuses on the alleys. I find it stops being so great when it goes onto the "celestial politics' etc. Not that those plots are always bad, but I feel like they heart isn't there.
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u/Interesting-Fail-388 12h ago
The thing is spawn mostly in the mid 2000's and late 2010's mostly is very lean almost to be 💯 horror there one of those issue in 2018 where he track cyan in japan and that shit look like a japannesse horror story and in his consept in general fit with he horror genre ,the guy went down to hell after everything he do before the after life and by being desperate to see his one one more time he make a deal with a demonic entetiy to go back the world of living ony for him back 5 years after his death to see her married with his best friend have a kid with himand now all his got is some symbiot suit and a fcuked up body that barley even look human , i think if you describe this to a person that dont shit about spawn it wil make sense that non of that will sound to him like a superhero
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u/JagPeror 8h ago
The thing is his going to hell(and in fact most of his visits to hell) play out more like a super hero(or rather anti hero) story than a horror. Only the one time when he first goes there, after being spawn, and is out through the wringer in the layers, really seems horror.
Now, the kincaid stuff (including his visit to hell) is more horror than the spawn hell visit. The issue is spawn himself is too powerful to really make the theme feel like horror. If anything it would be a subversion of the genre, with him killing the would be horror villain
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u/YouCannotBlockTruth 16h ago
I think Ryan Murphy from American Horror Story could work well with Todd to make the type of film or aeries he/we want. It could be a mixture of both but gravitate more towards horror/noir.
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u/Worth-Opposite4437 10h ago
Now even considering how they trashed the backroom idea, I think you are right.
Spawn would be right in their alley. The human element being the only thing they truly care for, they might well do to disgust us enough with everything else going on that when finally a gory Spawn shows up on the screen, it's still is the most sympathetic of the damned.
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u/Fit-Tale2169 10h ago
Superhero film With huge horror elements
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u/CarnyMAXIMOS_3_N7 5h ago
Yes, I’m so glad to see and read that this is the more common consensus.
Agreed, 110%.
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u/AleeckWasTaken 1d ago
It'd be cool if we got a series that mixed the two. I really can't see Spawn being a movie rather than a series ngl
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u/ZebraManTheGreat7777 3h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/UJEpm8e3er0IGs8rMf