Eric Powell’s The Goon is one of the best comic book series out there. The comic follows the bloody, paranormal adventures of hulking toughster The Goon and his squirrelly best friend Franky. It’s a hilarious, wonderfully-drawn, and terrifically moody bunch of books, and for years, Powell, director David Fincher, Dark Horse Entertainment, and Blur Studios have been trying to get a film adaptation off the ground. They’ve had Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti on board as The Goon and Franky, respectively. But it’s stalled time and time again, so the producers have decided to try out crowdfunding. Today, they’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign. Their goal is to raise $400,000 by November 11th. Here’s what that money will go towards:
“The next step of our plan is to begin the filmmaking process by producing a feature length STORY REEL based on Eric Powell’s amazing script. (a story reel is a rough edit of storyboards combined with music and sound effects) This will give Hollywood a complete look at the Goon film’s potential… from his early life in the carnival to busting heads in the mysterious town with no name. We all know the Goon’s incredible story, the over-the-top action, hilarious comedy and genuine heart, but now it’s time for Hollywood to experience it as well.”
This is a good step. It’s difficult to convey the immense appeal of The Goon just with words, but a story reel might just do the trick. I’d love for anything that could allow animation to break out of the “just for kids” box, and if something like this project found success, then who knows what kinds of stories we’d see in the future. As of this writing, the Kickstarter has 500 backers pledging more than $30,000. That’s almost a tenth of the goal, in less than a day, so this is totally doable. If you’re a fan of The Goon, comic book adaptations, or just plain promising, unusual movie ideas, then I’d strongly suggest tossing a few bucks their way.
