The trailer for WANTED is now online. As rumoured, the film version of the comic by Mark Millar and JG Jones seems to have lost its superhero/villain trappings, and the characters are now assassins. It also seems to be a Matrix-like story with Angelina Jolie reprising the Carrie-Anne Moss role, and James McAvoy as a more expressive Keanu. Given that director Timur Bekmambetov is widely credited as making the Matrix of Russia (NIGHT WATCH, DAY WATCH), and it all comes together.
Speaking of the GN, Top Cow wants us all to know that the new edition is AVAILABLE now:
Top Cow Productions announced today that the new printing of Wanted Trade Paperback is available for immediately through Diamond Comic Distributors. The new printing was originally scheduled for release in November but in anticipation of the release of the first Wanted movie trailer this week, Top Cow rushed the new printing out to accommodate increased demand.
This new printing of the Wanted Trade Paperback will feature a brand new fully painted cover by series artist JG Jones. The trade collects the complete six issue limited series by Mark Millar (Civil War, Fantastic Four) and JG Jones (Final Crisis, 52) along with bonus material including the Wanted Dossier featuring character profiles. Wanted tells the story of everyman Wesley Gibson, who discovers that the father he never knew was a deadly assassin called “The Killer” and part of an underground fraternity of supervillains. The series is being adapted as a feature film from Universal Pictures and is scheduled for release on March 28th, 2008. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) and stars Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman. The official web site for the film is www.wantedmovie.com.
Wanted Trade Paperback is available immediately and has a SRP of $19.99,.
“The buzz surrounding the Wanted feature film has been great,” added Filip Sablik, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Top Cow, “We’re thrilled to see it is driving interest in Mark and JG’s phenomenal comic work. We have a few more things planned for Wanted to coincide with the movie’s release which should make fans happy.”
I saw the trailer and was left with a big “eh” feeling. Just another action movie. I of course hold final judgement on the film for when I see it, but until I see something that makes me go WOW, I probably won’t see it in the theater.
The folks who buy the graphic novels after they see the its movie adaptation who usually don’t folow comics are going to be confused with this one. When they pick this thing up in Borders, they’ll be surprised to see everyone in the book in superhero costumes and, er, not “saving a thousand people” stuff. I wasn’t a fan of the series, but I’d take that cynical ultraviolent original over this watered down toothless version.
Loved the mini series, but this trailer doesnt didnt get my interest at all. Why take all the originality out of the mini and just make this another shoot em up movie? I realize to a general audience the superhero angle might not win em over, but the whole hook of the series was that the bad guys finally won!
I’ll also hold my full opinion until after the movie – but currently, my cheap answer based on this trailer is, “why even call it Wanted?” I don’t mind that they pull out the costumes / spandex… but switching the characters from bad to good makes me scratch my head.
Still, I’ll check it out for the fun.
Have to agree: why bother to call it ‘Wanted’? I have to admit I was ultimately disappointed with the mini-series, but… this seems like just a pale version of the book.
It seems like either they just loved the core idea or just didn’t get what the book was really all about. Or maybe making the comic would have been just too damn expensive.
Also: so tired of Angelina Jolie. Can we get someone else here? She’s turning into a real 1 trick pony.