Comic Book Adaptations

Did you know that currently in Hollywood there are 70 movies being made that just lay in the comic book genre! That's a big seven-zero. People might not see any 70 films in the space of about 5 years.

So what's so engaging about the comic book film? The many popular adaptations are the Batman series, Spiderman (of which they are making an unnecessary fourth), Superman, Blade, Hulk, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, the list goes on and on. Other films that people might not have realised where comic book adaptations include V For Vendetta, Road To Perdition and even Stardust.

I'm not a big comic book fan, but after seeing this stat I have become intriguied to what brings people in to see them. Some will be big successes and some will fail, but they all are getting attention through comic book fans and lifelong devoters. With Hollywood releasing around 600 films in both 2006 and 07, it looks to stay around the same for 2009 / 10, which means a hefty amount coming from adaptations, not to mention Hollywood churning out the weekly remake, the monthy Seth Rogen "comedy" and the films about Dogs, which leaves a very small percentage of films that deserve recognition (in my eyes)

That's not to say that these films won't be a success. One film that has caught my attention over and over again is Watchmen, a film who people say that the comic book equivalent "changes the way they view other comic books." Now that's a pretty bold statement. Could Watchmen the film bring in a mass audience and make us change the way we view other superhero films? Directed by the man who brought us the green-screened, half-decent 300, we do not know. But from early pictures, reviews and some sneak peeks, he could be on to something this time around. We'll just have to wait till March to find out.

I like comic books. I read them all the time when I was a child. From the Beano to the... well, Beano was all that was needed to entertain me for a week, but you get the idea. Many people who are going to see these films will be much older than I was in my Beano-reading days though, and maybe it's something about having that connection with your childhood that drives people back into the cinemas to see these sorts of films. Films that are in production such as X-Men Origins, Justice League, Green Lantern, Iron Man 2 and Spiderman 4, are all fantastically well received children's cartoons and retro comic books, which just shows why they are getting good press and praise. The new generation of comic book readers are intriguied, children love a superhero and the older generation can't help but be clawed back by the images of when they first read comic books. 

Other notable films to look our for: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (Edgar Wright), Green Arrow, The Avengers and Ness (David Fincher)

Also, check the new Poll at the bottom of the page which asks Who Deserves The Best Picture Oscar This Year?