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Jamie Foxx Aggressively Pursuing Reboot of Todd McFarlene's 'Spawn'

by Ethan Anderton
July 29, 2013
Source: Movies.com

Next summer, Jamie Foxx will make the leap into comic book territory as the villain Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (watch the teaser from Comic-Con here, and our video blog recap of the footage here). But that's not the only comic character Foxx has his sights on. In an interview at Comic-Con, Movies.com chatted with the actor and asked if there are any other roles he's interested in taking. Foxx very bluntly said, "Spawn is one, yeah. And Mike Tyson. Those are two roles I would just love to do. I'm aggressively pursuing them." Foxx has done biopics with Ray before, so Tyson isn't surprising, but Spawn?

Actually, Spawn isn't all that surprising either. In fact, he seemed to be the most likely suspect following Todd McFarlene's talk this past February about an Oscar winner constantly calling about the status of a new film adaptation. The actor visited McFarlane's offices awhile back and made it clear that he's a big fan of Spawn, and this is just further confirmation that he's trying hard to get the project off the ground. McFarlene previously said, "Every three weeks he’s on the phone going, 'Todd, where’s the script? Todd, where’s the script?'" So clearly it's something he's quite passionate about.

For those who are unaware, Spawn is the hellish resurrected alter ego of a man named Al Simmons, a highly trained assassin who was considered the best. But his superiors decided that he knew too much as he started to question their actions and decided to have him killed. After his death, Simmons made a deal to sell his soul to a Demonic Being known as Malebolgia to get to see his wife again. He was allowed to return to the real world, but was deceivingly sent back five years later as some kind of strange Hellspawn with no memory of what he had done. But slowly, he figures out his past, and seeks revenge.

The adaptation featuring Michael Jai White in the lead back in 1997 was quite the visual effects spectacle (though much of the work hasn't aged well), but the film lacked substance and felt like a wasted opportunity. With someone like Foxx attached, the film might actually have some weight, and have a chance at getting a real budget to get the film off the ground. Of course, fans would likely want the R-rated adaptation that the gritty comic book property essentially needs, and those films aren't too profitable for studios, even if the source material is popular like Spawn. Right now the project is just a gleam in Foxx's eye, but that just might be enough for the film to become a reality if he sticks to his guns. Thoughts?

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28 Comments

Passion for a project...I like it.

Xerxexx on Jul 29, 2013

I say hell yes on this! Foxx is awesome! They just need a good director who can make an R rated movie with a low budget so it has a better chance of being successful. Maybe someone like Neill Blomkamp!

Rain Spider on Jul 29, 2013

The twist of the deal though was the devil brought him back as a white dude. I liked Spawn, but it does not hold up anymore. The animated series kicks ass, bring on a reboot!

mooreworthy on Jul 29, 2013

I thought he brought him back as a walking corpse wearing armor.

BinaryChaos on Jul 29, 2013

I've only read the issues released in Sweden before it got cancelled, but Spawn can transform himself to "looking" normal - but he then looks like a white dude and not like himself before getting killed.

Spirre on Jul 30, 2013

Fox is box office poison at the moment. Many non-blacks extremely offended by his increasingly racial dialogue and self expressed love for his "Lord and Savior" (his words, not mine) Barack Obama. Success has gone to his head. Maybe he should be prepping for biopic of our divisive and perennially underachieving POTUS or portraying Trayvon Martin since he appears to need more places to wear his endless supply of "Justice for Trayvon" tee shirts.

Doug on Jul 29, 2013

What does anything you just said have to do with a Spawn reboot?

johnquintin on Jul 29, 2013

This really isn't the place for politics in a comic book movie. Take your butt-hurt political comments elsewhere thanks.

Luke Hanna on Jul 29, 2013

oh yeah... I've been wait'n patiently for a reboot... 🙂 Since there was a bit of talk from Todd on remaking it, which was years ago.

Antonio B Coria on Jul 29, 2013

I hope it happens. As a kid, I found the first Spawn to be very thoroughly entertaining...but I'm 21 now and I would be very interested in seeing a much darker take on the material. I say bring it on.

Chris Groves on Jul 29, 2013

So in other words Jamie Foxx is really tired of working and would like his career to abruptly end.

DanHibiki on Jul 29, 2013

Wonder if he'll tell Miley Cyrus to get a venereal disease again or make a sex tape. Sorry this guy lost my respect a long time ago. Not a fan of Miley or her dad either but as a human being I think this guy sux.

Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Jul 29, 2013

i have no idea what this is in reference to

Brandon V. Fletcher on Jul 29, 2013

I don't like the guy. I like Spawn though and i'd rather see someone else play the character because if its fox I honestly don't care how good it is , i'll just shut the tv off

Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Jul 29, 2013

I'd be up for checking a new version of this, I collected all the comics when I was younger, quite liked the universe it was in Why not?

Carpola on Jul 29, 2013

There are video clips of Todd McFarlane discussing his ideas for Spawn. I think they sound awful, he wants to have it so you never actually SEE or HEAR Spawn, he will be a shadow, and act as a silent threat... like Jaws. Ummm... I don't know about you, but if I go to a Spawn movie, I want to actually see and hear him....

Blake Sturchio on Jul 29, 2013

What this film needs to be made is a guy like Matthew Vaughn who says, "f*ck the studios, I'm going to make the movie I want independently," and then go do it. Problem is, McFarlene has been known to be a dramatic, overbearing persona to work with, so even with talents like Foxx and Vaughn (just a suggestion, but a darn good one IMO), the film could suffer simply because Todd's not an easy character to work with.

quazimoto on Jul 29, 2013

Michael Jae White is Spawn.

DAVIDPD on Jul 29, 2013

I love the guy, but he's just not a good actor. He can kick some ass, but delivering lines isn't his strong suit. He was magnificent as Black Dynamite, absolutely perfect for it. But this take Spawn needs to be very cerebral, and that's just not within his ability. If he were to reprise the role, I would be damned excited, because as I said, I love the guy! He made a great Spawn, but Al Simmons needs to be someone with more range. IMO

grimjob on Jul 29, 2013

John Leguizamo was the only thing that really made the first film watchable. the special effects were meh and the store just rushed through it everything. I'm so on board for Jamie Foxx playing Al Simmons / Spawn. Can't wait.

Luke Hanna on Jul 29, 2013

This needs to happen. That original film was such a waste of time. I was a HUGE fan of Spawn at the time, and even though I learned to enjoy it, I knew people just dropped the ball on it. Decent soundtrack though. And Leguizamo was good. Anyway, a proper Chapel is what I want. I'm still pissed at what they did with that character. Make it so Foxx!

grimjob on Jul 29, 2013

The profit is easily there for them to make it with a R rating. But more profit is available with pg-13 because younger crowds would be able to go. Going to ruin a great project in a chase for extra cash that could end up hurting them more. Make the film a R rated movie and you can be assured large profits

Elyk1887 on Jul 29, 2013

I always imagined a Spawn movie with Denzel Washington, Halle Berry as his wife and Jack Nicholson as that evil dude played by Martin Sheen in the original. In 2013 I guess Jamie Foox is a good replacemnt for Washington.

Ryderup on Jul 30, 2013

AND David Fincher should make his comicbook debut with Spawn, and why not have Reznor do the music. Tood McFarlane made a poster and a music video for Pearl Jam, so maybe have Pearl Jam and Reznor team up for a song or two! 🙂

Spirre on Jul 30, 2013

The Spawn movie was a fucking piece of shit. The animated series was OK. The comics were good/fair up to around #100, or #125, I can't remember. McFarlane was recently involved in a MMO scandal, where maybe $100,000,000 is still owed to New Jersey State? The Spawn comicbook went from 1,700,000 sold a month to 20-30,000 a month. McFarlane cares about his toylines, not his comicbooks. This will just go on and on, "will it get made, will it not?", there's not much hope in this being any good, if it at all gets made. Spawn should get a soft reboot somehow, like a new animated series, it's not very popular at the moment. If you look at X-Men, millions of fans came from the animated series, not the comics. If the script and production is good, Idris Elba should play Al Simmons/Spawn, if not, then Michael Jai White should play Spawn again. MJW is still in fantastic shape, but has not improved his acting chops. Jaime Foxx is just after a franchise. McFarlane has a net worth north of $300,000,000. If he really, really wants it made, he could just fork up the money himself.

L on Jul 30, 2013

Gotta love the Jamie hater's on this thread. The man is a phenomenal actor.

Jeffrey Lamar on Jul 30, 2013

Spawn deserves it!

terrible reactor on Jul 30, 2013

Jamie foxx can go jump in traffic. Hes fucking shit. if he goes anywhere near spawn the movie will be fucking horrible. FUck off scrubs

DotaD on Jul 31, 2013

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