DC/Vertigo’s fantasy comic Fables heading to the big screen with director Nikolaj Arcel

Whenever I hear someone bashing on comics for being childish or trying to claim that comics aren't as "serious" as novels, films or television I want to slap them in the face with something very heavy, like Bone: The One Volume Edition for example. Granted that blanket opinion on comics has changed (especially in recent years) but there are those that still assume that all comics are just muscle bound men, big breasted women and flashy costumes. The combination of quality comics though (and quality films based on the source material) has definitely helped changed people's preconceived notions about comics.

One series that has been a part of that is DC/Vertigo's Fables. Since the fantasy comic began in 2002 there have been several attempts to adapt it into a film or television series without success. However THR is reporting that director Nikolaj Arcel (A ROYAL AFFAIR) has been tapped to direct a film adaptation of Fables with Jeremy Slater writing the script. Heyday Films (HARRY POTTER series) will produce the flick. Here's the comic synopsis from Amazon:

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

The series is critically acclaimed and as of last year has won fourteen Eisner Awards. I've only read the first two collections of the comic but they have been excellent so far. I'm concerned that they may tone down some of the violence from the comic for the film in order to sell it to a younger audience but I hope they stay true to the series because I don't want to see an adaptation of the comic if they're just going to turn it into something similar to SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMEN or the ABC show Once Upon a Time.

Since the comic has had some issues heading to the big screen I won't say we'll definitely be seeing this in the near future but with a director attached to the property there is hope that an adaptation of the acclaimed series will happen.