Wondering about the status of film adaptations for Y: The Last Man, Runaways, or Saga? Brian K. Vaughan has a few things to say...
Brian K. Vaughan has made a habit of spinning the kinds of tales that can make a film executive drool, but surprisingly, all of those projects have languished on the vine. In a new interview with CBR, Vaughan doesn’t offer any insight into why that is (dense indie comics with passionate fan bases + pricey production costs to properly develop said dense properties = studio fever sweats?) but he does weigh in on the Runaways and Y: The Last Man adaptations while also talking about why we are nowhere near a Saga… saga.
First, the crushing news: Vaughan assumes that The Runaways is dead, though some may scoff at the use of the word “news” there. Sad as it is to say, The Runaways has been circling the bowl since speculation about a BKV scripted version of the project proved to be unfounded back in 2010. Following that dream crash, Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3) took the reigns, crafting a well received yet ultimately shelved draft, but as of this past September, he still had hope in his heart.
"We were really close to being made, and then this movie started to happen called The Avengers [...] Oddly, it pulled focus from the unheard-of brand Runaways, and it really did kind of consume the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's there -- maybe it'll be a Phase Three movie. I really hope so. I'm really proud of it and I think it'll be a brilliant film, but I think it all depends what Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel, his master plan is."
That “Master Plan” seems to be working out for Marvel, but with their slavish dedication to their interconnected universe and only releasing two films a year -- allegedly limiting over-exposure and fiscal over-extension -- smaller scale films like The Runaways suffer. Could TV be the port of call for this story about a group of teens who rebel against their supervillain parents, perhaps as a part of Phase 2 of the Marvel/Netflix relationship (assuming there is one)? Maybe, but the tea leaves and BKV seem like they are telling us not to hold our breaths.
Sage advice when it comes to Saga as well. Though still evolving, many have dreamed about an on-screen version of Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ epic sci-fi love story with a civil war backdrop, but while Vaughan has been approached, he appears unmoved.
“Fiona and I get option offers all the time, but I don't think the technology or financial model exists yet to realistically make Saga work as either a television series or a feature. I'm certainly open to being proven wrong though, especially if Paul Thomas Anderson is looking to adapt a pervy space fantasy for his next project. For now, I like comics way more than film and TV, so I'm happy for Saga to remain nothing but a lowly funny book.”
Speaking of things that are unmoved, the latest pulse check on the Y: The Last Man project seems to reveal little thump under the skin, but that could all change in a matter of months according to Vaughan.
“It's my understanding that the rights to Y: The Last Man will revert back to co-creator Pia Guerra and me for the first time in a decade if the planned New Line adaptation doesn't start shooting in the next few months, so I expect there will be some "Y" news in 2014 either way.”
That’s potentially exciting news, but while the thought of Vaughan controlling Yorick Brown’s destiny (and maybe words) once again thrills, that New Line project could, conceivably still happen if you believe David Goyer, who is a producer on the project. Back in June of last year, Goyer talked up the possibility of a 2014 start date after the project added director Dan Trachtenberg to a team that also included writers Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia.
Mad dashes to save license rights aren’t new (remember the ultimately unsuccessful rush to keep Daredevil at FOX?), but usually there are rumblings and casting rumors and for Y: The Last Man there is only silence. After being knocked around this much (remember, once there were rumors that Shia LaBeouf was in the running for the lead with DJ Caruso directing), though, maybe that is for the best.
I’m not saying that a default back to Vaughan and Guerra would mean an instant greenlight somewhere else, but Vaughan did reveal in that CBR interview that his Under the Dome contract only runs through this next season, so it sounds like he’s gonna need busy work to occupy the time between Saga issues.
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