'Bone' Comic Series Being Adapted into CGI Movie Series

[Walts Ghost]

New ‘Bone’ Script in the Works, Three-Film 3D CGI Series Still Likely

There is no shortage of terrible comic books that have been the beneficiaries of movie development deals that move along at a brisk pace. Throw a rock in Hollywood and you’re likely to hit a half-dozen examples of poorly drawn, hackneyed crap with great development deals, or good pieces of material with terrible deals. (When you do throw that rock, if I may once again borrow from Barton Fink, throw it hard.) But every once in a while one of the really great pieces of material ends up under the watchful eye of someone who keeps it from falling into the polluted hot tub where Green Lantern, Elektra and Judge Dredd are lounging like hairy swingers with eager eyes and very loose definitions of ‘disease free.’

Such is the case with Jeff Smith‘s Bone, a really tremendous piece of comic storytelling that tells a tale of prophecy, a princess, a dragon and three cousins lost in a strange land. The title has been in development hell for many years; a few bad scripts have come and, thankfully, gone. Jeff Smith now seems to be optimistic about the future, as Warner Bros. has a new draft in the works and just put together a four-minute short that wowed him.
The LA Times talked to the writer/artist/publisher, who said he’s “actually excited” after seeing the four-minute piece, which is the first hint of a trilogy of CGI 3D films.

So there is footage! That’s exciting. (There has probably been footage in the past, so I’ll rephrase: “there is footage Jeff Smith likes!”)

Warner Bros. has had the title for some time, and that three-film plan was first heard of in late 2009. If that seems like a long development process, keep in mind that the film was with Nickelodeon and Paramount for some time before that — it has taken a while to crack. Jeff Smith says that a feature-length first film is still easily two years off. As long as it properly represents the story, I’m willing to wait.

His newer series, the more adult-oriented RASL, now eleven issues into a fifteen-issue run, tells of a guy who is able to ‘drift’ into parallel universes and runs into trouble when the government wants his technology. That one has a film development deal, too, and having just blasted through the existing eleven issues I’ll admit that it seems like a much easier task to adapt than Bone. Warner Bros. and one of the Sherlock Holmes producers, Lionel Wigram, are overseeing that one, too. There is no significant new development to report on that front — or there isn’t now. Jeff Smith has a few appearances set for Comic Con, so we may get some news before the week is out.

One of my all time favorite series, please be good!

[detective392]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

One of my all time favorite series, please be good!

Awesome news. While I've never read any of the comics I've seen the art around and always thought it would make a good movie.

[Walts Ghost]

It's a great series, man. I've been reading it since I was little. Always really loved the characters and the story. Really hoping for good things with this.

[detective392]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

It's a great series, man. I've been reading it since I was little. Always really loved the characters and the story. Really hoping for good things with this.

I'll have to check out some of the comics then. Also hope they make a great movie out of this and get to complete the trilogy they want.

[csdot]

if done faithfully, this could be an amazing movie. im not into CGI animated movies but i would be all over this.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by csdot

if done faithfully, this could be an amazing movie. im not into CGI animated movies but i would be all over this.

Definitely. CGI movies are hit and miss with me, and while I would love to see an animated Bone movie, this could be really incredible if done well. I'm really, really looking forward to seeing how this pans out. An amazing series that deserves to be done properly.

[detective392]

Warner Bros. Taps Patrick Sean Smith to Write & P.J. Hogan to Direct 'BONE'

According to The Hollywood Reporter Smith (Everwood, Summerland) will put the screenplay together, and Hogan (Muriel’s Wedding, Confessions of a Shopaholic) will polish the script.

Animal Logic and Dan Lin of Lin Pictures will producing the adaptation. Warner Bros. acquired the rights in 2008.

The comic follows three cousins from the Bone family, small, bald and humanlike creatures with big noses. The trio are run out of their hometown and find themselves in a mysterious valley where they are separated and hunted by other creatures. They are taken in by a girl named Thorn and her grandmother, and they find out that the valley is threatened by an evil force called the Lord of the Locusts.

[Mr. Lost]

I love this comic! That girl wasn't bad looking either...

[Walts Ghost]

I've always loved this comic series, so I can't wait to see where they go with the movies.