A film version of the DC comic, Deadman, has been in the works for ages. Three years ago Warner Bros. announced it as a potential directing vehicle for Guillermo Del Toro, but then everything went quiet on the project. However it’s now re-emerged and while Del Toro won’t be helming, he is producing the movie, which has now set Nikolaj Arcel to direct.
Although not exactly a household name, Arcel has garnered a lot of acclaim for his Danish movies, such as King’s Game and Island Of Lost Souls, as well as for numerous screenplays he’s written. This will be his first English-language project and is a big move for him, although it does seem to be the way Guillermo Del Toro likes to work as a producer, finding directors who aren’t well known in Hollywood and givng them a chance to direct a major movie.
The Deadman comic character probably isn’t that much better known that Arcel. He’s the ghost of a murdered circus acrobat who can possess the living in order to try and find his killer, as well as to help out the innocent. Arcel’s Island Of Lost Souls delves into similar themes, so you can see why they think he’d be a good choice as director.
At the moment no production date has been set for the film, although it’s starting to sound more and more interesting, and a rather different sort of comic book film than we’re used to, so let’s hope they get a move on.