The popular action/comedy Valiant comic book series ARCHER & ARMSTRONG is on its way to the big screen! There is a finished script and it has been reported that production is set to start as soon as possible. For the history buffs, Valiant Comics was founded in 1989, acquired in 1994 by video game company Acclaim Entertainment, and then acquired by Valiant Entertainment in 2007. ARCHER & ARMSTRONG, which re-launched in 2012, was a big part of the ’90s comic scene that surprisingly wasn’t a Marvel or DC title.
If one were to briefly summarize these characters, they would tell you that Archer is a monk with expert archery skills and an awful family history. Armstrong on the other hand is an immortal who, after thousands of years on Earth, now lives to party and get drunk. THR reports that BenDavid Grabinski (COST OF LIVING) is writing the film, which is said to stay close to the original comics stories.
Valiant describes the story as follows:
Archer & Armstrong is an action buddy comedy in which the young Obadiah Archer is confronted with the “Great Satan” he has been raised to combat for his entire life, only to discover that his enemy is actually a drunken immortal calling himself Armstrong who couldn’t be less interested in bringing about the apocalypse Archer has been warned since childhood. His own parents and the cult they belong to, on the other hand, might have slightly less trustworthy ambitions.
Sean Daniel who is producing the project said:
"ARCHER & ARMSTRONG is one of the greatest untapped franchises in comics, and BenDavid’s script is delivering a vision for these characters that has made us all very, very excited.” The movie is about the relationship between these two amazing characters, the comic clash between optimism and pessimism, and how family is the most important unifier. It combines globe-spanning action with BenDavid’s singular sense of humor, and is rooted in resonant themes that give it a powerful emotional core."
Fans of the comic series definitely treasure these characters and legacy; it would be a shame for its first foray into film to be something of a lame attempt. The material is hilarious and action-packed; it has basically laid out storyboards for them already right? The unconventional heroes would make for an exciting (albeit different) time at the movies and I'm all in for this one.
So what do you guys think? Are you familiar with ARCHER & ARMSTRONG?