Constantine

[youandwhosearmy]

I've been following the story for some time on the Hellblazer adaption the Donnor company has been planning, and its slowly stripped away my hopes for a classy comic movie with an academy award winning twist.

First casting choice for the movie according to fans, Tim Roth. He looks the part, feels the part, is the part.

Choice the studio's made: Keanu Reeves

First location choice for the movie, London. For godsake the comic is about Lodon's seedy occult underground.

Choice the studio's made: New York

First sitting on a goldmine script choice, the astounding Dangerous Habits storyline. Practically a storyboard for a fascinating original movie that explores John Constantine's trials and tribulations after being diagnosed with lung cancer and his rather unique way out of the prediciment.

Choice the studio made: An orginal script about a cop who's partner is murdered?!

I could go on, but I'll stop just short of killing myself and ask if any of you think this is the biggest waste of a property you've ever seen.

This movie no longer has anything to do with the comic book, as a matter of fact, is so far away from the comic book it might as well just be a shitty murder mystery about a gay prostitute and his wacky talking muppet friend.

[AaronChance]

Ugh, ugh, ugh. Why do studio execs still interfere with movies when they obviously don't know dick and just end up hurting their end profits anyway?

I wanted this movie to be good. Now, along with the new Punisher movie, I'm going to pretend it doesn't exist.

[youandwhosearmy]

Other facts, apparently in the script they toyed with giving him brain cancer, because y'know its more politically correct that he not smoke.

That was also changed or wiped out from the script I saw.

This really is something that should be marketed in a very indy way, with a very gritty feel. This could have been the first real anti comic book movie worthy of a plethora of sequels with strong material to draw from for it.

I don't ask for exactness with stuff, just that y'know, it in SOME WAY resembles the material its based on.

Which isn't really a lot to ask.

[AaronChance]

I could have been a good film the way I think Batman is, that it's something that benefits from the source material but can still stand apart from it. I really don't think the Spideman movie can do the same, which feels as if it got a number of tweaks from executives.

When I think of what would make a good Hellblazer movie I usually think of Seven. If that could be popular and make money despite its gritty atmosphere, why couldn't this?

And a Constantine that doesn't smoke isn't the Hellblazer. It's like Wolverine without his claws.

[Shine]

Originally posted by Ammadeau
I could have been a good film the way I think Batman is, that it's something that benefits from the source material but can still stand apart from it. I really don't think the Spideman movie can do the same, which feels as if it got a number of tweaks from executives.

Interesting comment. How did you not feel that Spiderman worked well with its source material?

[youandwhosearmy]

Originally posted by Ammadeau
When I think of what would make a good Hellblazer movie I usually think of Seven. If that could be popular and make money despite its gritty atmosphere, why couldn't this?

And a Constantine that doesn't smoke isn't the Hellblazer. It's like Wolverine without his claws.

When I think of this movie, I think of the visual's being very Seven also. However I think of the directing style being very Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia). The scene's themselves having a very gritty, but surpisingly emotional feel. Nothing camped up about it at all.

The lung cancer storyline also being handled very delicately, almost so much so that from the trailer's you'd think this movie was about a man dying of lung cancer, with very little mention of the supernatural or occult.

I think it could work on a Sixth Sense level if marketed right.