Garth Ennis’ ‘Crossed’ Comic Gets a Feature Film Adaptation,
An Iconic Comic Comes to Life
One of the most unsettling comic-book series of all time is finally getting a well-deserved feature film adaptation. Given the enormous popularity of ‘The Boys,’ it is only natural that Garth Ennis’ other comic creations, such as ‘Crossed,’ would eventually be adapted into live-action projects. According to the Hollywood Reporter, a ‘Crossed’ movie is now in development, with Garth Ennis agreeing to collaborate with Six Studios on the project. Carl Choi (Six Studios), Ben Hung (Retro Entertainment), and Ken Levin (Nightsky Productions) will join the crew as producers.
The Dark World of ‘Crossed’
‘Crossed,’ written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Jacen Burrows, ran for 10 issues between 2008 and 2010. Following the immense success of the comic series, several other issues were published by various writers, all of which featured extensive gore, torture, cannibalism, and every dreadful scenario one can imagine. The original comic presents a setting akin to a zombie apocalypse, with an epidemic turning the majority of the world’s population into homicidal maniacs with intellect. Anyone infected with the virus grows a cross-like mark on their face and becomes driven by their innermost desires without an ounce of control.
A Unique Adaptation
Since we’ve seen how far gore can go in ‘The Boys,’ it’s safe to assume that the upcoming feature film is bound to surpass the Prime Video series in this regard. The creators have made it clear that the feature film will be very faithful to the comics, meaning that it will be an intimate story about human lives rather than simply being made into a violent film loaded with gore. Carl Choi, in particular, stated that the film would be a blend of ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Contagion,’ and ‘Civil War,’ drawing on the best aspects of each story to create a comic-accurate feature.
Inspirations and Expectations
‘Crossed’ is a story that fares well in comic-book format but might be too dark for a live-action film. However, the surprising announcement of a full-length feature film is not exactly the first of its kind, since a movie based on the comics has previously been released. Although not an accurate adaptation of the comic, ‘The Sadness,’ a Taiwanese horror film released in 2021, bears many similarities to ‘Crossed.’ Even though the fundamental premise of ‘The Sadness’ resembles ‘Crossed,’ it was not developed as an explicit adaptation but rather inspired by the comic book story. The film tells the story of Jim and Kat, a couple who try to reunite in a city overrun by infected humans who turn into bloodthirsty sadists.
Given how popular and influential ‘Crossed’ has been over the years, a faithful feature film adaptation is truly a great idea. As long as the adaptation doesn’t follow in the footsteps of some of the more disastrous comic adaptations, it should be a fairly intriguing film.
Source : iHorror
