Hot off of last night's news that Drew Goddard is set to write and possibly direct an adaptation of Nick Drnaso's Sabrina, it's been said that another indie comic book property is getting the big screen treatment. Today it was announced that Hadrian's Wall is set to be developed into a feature film, with comic book creative Kyle Higgins attached to direct in addition to writing the script.
Presented by Higgins, Alec Siegel and Rod Reis, Hadrian's Wall hit comic book shelves in 2016 for an eight-issue mimited series run. The Image Comics-published series told the story of when an astronaut on Hadrian’s Wall is murdered, and a pill-popping detective named Simon Moore is dispatched to investigate the ship’s crew … including his own ex-wife. But if Simon's not careful, what he finds could make the interstellar Cold War go red hot.
“Although Hadrian’s Wall takes place a century into the future, the crew of the space vessel navigates both a murder mystery and a civil war in a world smartly mirroring our present day,” said Cody Zwieg, senior vice president of development and production, Gunpowder & Sky.
Higgins added, "The best murder mysteries are vehicles for character study, and at its core, this is a story about relationships, set in one of the most isolated places in the universe. I think fans of the book will be as thrilled as I am.”
I love it when indie comic book adaptations get announced. It's proof-positive that the comic-to-film boom is far from over, and that studios are growing ever more curious about the power of comics outside of Marvel and DC superhero-driven narratives. Bring on distubing sci-fi, I say. Give me your weird, your otherworldly, your alien masses. After all, it's only a matter of time before a little-known comic book adaptation hits real big with audiences, paving the way for a bright future where comic books on screen don't stop at the adventures of Batman or the Avengers.