Screenwriters Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia are setting up to take over writing duties on the long-in-development comic book adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan’s (LOST) series Y: THE LAST MAN. After a number of false starts, including one with director D.J. Caruso and Shia LeBouf, New Line Cinema are reviving their efforts to get the translation to the big screen.
Y: THE LAST MAN follows the exploits of Yorrick Brown, “the only human survivor of a planet-wide plague that instantly kills every mammal possessing a Y chromosome. Accompanied by a mysterious government agent, a brilliant young geneticist and his pet monkey, Ampersand, Yorick travels the world in search of his lost love and the answer to why he’sthe last man on earth.”
I’ve read the entire series and found it to be a tremendous achievement, chock full of action, humor, and social commentary. Vaughan really left no stone unturned when exploring the series, never letting it fall into a shallow stereotype. The only problem I have with this adaptation, much like Garth Ennis’ PREACHER, is that it’s too damn big for a two-hour movie. If ever there was another comic series ripe for a cable TV series it’s Y: THE LAST MAN. It will be a miracle if they can truly capture this in a single sitting.
No word on a director or cast, which is probably a few drafts away from being announced. Like SIN CITY 2, this is a project that is struggling to get up the hill, but at least it’s still trying to do so.
More as this develops.