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Mage (2003?)
Plot: Law school dropout Kevin Matchstick is going nowhere in life. He works as an assistant manager at bar that doesn't have a manager. This all changes when he meets an old bum named Mirth who turns out to be a mage. Mirth shows Kevin the magical powers he never knew he had, setting him on a path to fight evil. The movie will be based on Matt Wagner's popular comic book series of the same name.
News:
3 January, 2002
Adam Simon (Bones, Carnosaur) has been hired to polish John Rogers' script for the movie. Producer Andrew Cosby spoke to Comics2Film about it. "Adam is really respectful of John's draft," Cosby told C2F. "When we first offered him the gig he turned it down because he's like, 'This is the best comic-to-film draft I've read.'"
"It's more of a polish than anything else," Cosby said adding that Rogers is still in the loop on the development. "Adam's been working with John, they've been e-mailing back and forth so he's definitely sticking close to the old draft."
Cosby is hoping to have the script finished this month.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
19 July, 2001
This project finally has a director. F. Gary Gray, who has directed Friday, The Negotiator and El Diablo, has officially signed to serve as the film's director. Producer Andrew Cosby related the info to Comics2Film and said this about Gray, "He loves the comics. I don't think he was a fan of the comic before coming into the project. I think it was more a matter of being presented with the material, he read the comics and was enamored from the word go."
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
12 October, 2000
The most excellent reviewer of scripts, Stax, has added his take on the matter. He reviews a draft of the script by John Rogers.
This script won me over with its quick and clever wit, which also helped me suspend my disbelief regarding all the mystical shenanigans. I've now found out that John Rogers is a stand-up comic and that comic timing is clearly evident in his screenwriting. (Rogers' comedic talents were also put to good use in the forthcoming, lighthearted biopic of Jesse James.) With its pungent wit, sarcastic yet appealing characters, and fantastical goings-on, Mage sometimes recalled Ghostbusters.
Mage, however, took a surprisingly dark turn during its last act. I can't reveal too much of what happened for fear of spoiling things. I was stunned at how gutsy it was to let things transpire the way they did. The story justifies such heavy dramatic moments by making them integral parts of Kevin's mythic journey. Still, I imagine there may be some filmgoers put off by the story's less than slaphappy homestretch.
Read the entire review here.
7 June, 2000
The good folks over at CHUD have come up with a script review of Mage, the movie to be based on Matt Wagner's comic of the same name. It's pretty damn positive so check it out if you want to know more.
Wagner himself talked to Comics 2 Film about the screenplay. "Our final draft has been approved by everyone at Spyglass and now, as far as I know, it's in Touchstone's hands." Wagner goes on to compliment John Rogers' work on script, saying "He's really managed to maintain everything about the book. He also puts so much of his own sense of humor and way of looking at things into it."
15 December, 1999
Matt Wagner says that production has begun on a big screen adaptation of his comic book Mage. Spyglass Entertainment has signed with Wagner to turn 'The Hero Discovered,' the first part of his Mage series into a movie. He is very happy with the people working with him, "These guys and I really see eye to eye on how Mage would translate to film," said Wagner. "I've always thought that for Mage to really make it as a movie, the creative team would have to bring their own flavor to the table, while still retaining the essence of the source material's charm and style. A panel-by-panel rendition on celluloid is not what any of us sees."
John Rogers will be writing the script for the movie. According to Wagner, "Everybody on the production end loved his material and the minute I read his stuff, I knew we'd found our guy. John's really got the right combination of action, wit and heart that'll bring Kevin Matchstick to life on screen. Plus, he's a huge fan of the comic. Bingo."
It had long been rumored that Kevin Smith (Dogma) was going to be writing and possibly directing Mage. Unfortunately Smith's schedule was not free at the moment so the project is moving forward without him.