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'ElfQuest' Comic Book Series May Get Indie Feature Film Treatment

by Ethan Anderton
November 7, 2012
Source: Variety

Warner Bros. has been trying to develop an adaptation of the 70s comic book series ElfQuest, but earlier this year, the project fell apart. Created by Richard and Wendy Pini in 1978, the series followed a tribe of elves on the distant World of Two Moons who find themselves driven from their forest by humans and then discover something they didn't know existed: other elves. Sounds like this plot could easily be applied to an Avatar storyline. Anyway, Variety reports Stephanie Thorpe and Paula Rhodes, a duo who crafted a live-action short production as "a fan imagining" of a potential film, have purchased the rights to the series.

Here's the ElfQuest short Stephanie Thorpe and Paula Rhodes created that helped them land the rights:

The plan is to turn ElfQuest into an indie feature film, but since this news was announced at the American Film Market, this could easily just stay dormant for years. ElfQuest has had a long journey to popularity. After being published by Independent Publishers Syndicate in 1978, the company folded. Then WaRP Graphics was created and published dozens of issues. In 1985, Marvel would retell the saga in 32 installments only to have all the rights move to DC Comics in 2003. Apparently ElfQuest.com still pulls in 10 million views a month, so it still has plenty of loyal fans.

The question is whether or not enough financial and creative support can be lended to get this project off the ground. Cloud Atlas is one of the most expensive indie films ever made, but an indie of that magnitude is a bit easier when you have the Wachowski namesake attached with an all-star cast like Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Still, creator Wendy Pini sounds hopeful saying, ""With their deep love and understanding of the property, [Stephanie and Paula] represent a new direction for ElfQuest. New creative energy and new connections in the larger media." We'll see what happens. Any ElfQuest fans our there excited?

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7YGEVuJ4mM Carpola

Had a few of the comic books, quite liked it, think maybe the guy who wrote Bone was into it. Also Brandon Graham who does King City was pretty into it too. Most folk said that the stories were really good. I don't remember them being all girls though.
Kaim

This movie would only work as CGI like TinTin and while it could make good money if done well, much like a Bone movie, it won't happen. It has been in talks several times but the Pini's never seem to find a good amount of creative control and ownership over the project. They have the rights to everything since it was always published under their company.
ictimer

I don't understand why none of the male characters are in this. Wasn't Cutter like..the MAIN character in the entire series? There were loads of dudes. Wtf. The girls look cute and all, and I'm not really all that into elves and such, but the male elves in elfquest were actually pretty dope..so..why no Cutter?
David Banner

Needs a lot of tiny people, David Bennent-like tiny I didn't know all ElfQuest comics were free online, gathered on 1 site, thanks!
elkensteyin

Have been waiting for an Elfquest movie for almost 20 years. I hoep they make it. Only concern from the short was, where were all the males?
Andre

The only male actors that could have looked remotely convincing in this trailer without breaking the somewhat authentic looks of the characters would have been 9 year olds. Anyway, I think an elfquest movie could be cool but this article is mistaken. This is clearly a trailer for the upcoming film "Cute Chicks Get Super Worried and Also Pissed".