It looks like Mr. Cruise will soon be adding a comic book movie to his resume. We get the following scoop from the murky caves of Yahoo:
As Tom Cruise writes the next chapter in his career, he’s developing an interest in comic-book movies. With filmmaker Sam Raimi, the actor is setting up “Sleeper” as a feature project at Warner Bros. Cruise is loosely attached to star in the adaptation of the DC Comics/Wildstorm comic, which Raimi would produce with his Star Road Entertainment partner Josh Donen.
Written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, “Sleeper,” which ran from 2003 through 2005, centers on an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain. An intelligence agency places him undercover in a villainous organization and falls for Miss Misery, a member of the group.
I didn’t see this team up coming, but Raimi and Cruise are in bed for Sleeper! It looks like every comic book ever made will soon be forged into a film, and this is fine with me. I enjoy comic book films and welcome them more than another remake any day of the week. I just hope they get around to making a Power Man and Iron Fist film that’s set in the 70’s.
As always, I am going to ask our ardent comic book readers to share their thoughts on this news. I haven’t read Sleeper but would love to know the thoughts of those of you that have. Please share with us your opinion of the comic book, and the team up of Cruise/Raimi for the project.
an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain.
You know, this sounds like secret Scientology propaganda from Tom Cruise again.
Plus, didn’t he already try to get Iron Man and fail?
Is it only me that thinks the dude in the pic looks an awful lot like George Clooney?
I’ve never read Sleeper, but if it’s got Tommy boy in it, I’ll give it a shot and watch it. He’s still got to be one of the best actors around. Never mind his sanity. BTW, aren’t all actors in one way shape or form, a little off the beaten path? Just a question…
Hey super, Graphic Novel is now the high brow buzz word used when you want to sell a comic idea to a stuck-up person who thinks comics are for little kids.
Since most major comic storylines are available in trade paperback form now, it is easy to label them as “Graphic Novels” so the snobs can feel better about themselves when talking about them in public.
Did anyone honestly the movie company was going to call WATCHMEN the most respected Comic Book series of all time in their ads?!
Hell no, they used the “safe” phrase graphic novel!
Wait a minute, if comics are called graphic novels at times, then they may start sneaking their way to respect as a literary medium. We’ll see.
So many comics are being made into movies these days. Most of them I’ve never even heard of. Although I guess it’s the next logical step from the myriad of films adapted from novels. I’m surprised this is happening since comics still aren’t respected as a viable literary medium and the comics industry itself is shrinking.
That sounds like a great story! I haven’t read Sleeper but if Raimi and Cruise are on the project I have no doubts that the movie will be good. Say what you will about Cruise’s weird behavior, he knows how to pick a decent movie and I like Sam Raimi’s movies.
I think that Raimi and Cruise could be a good team up!
I am a HUGE Sleeper fan and just finished reading the trade paperbacks for the 3rd or 4th time.
Sleeper is written by Ed Brubaker, currently of Captain America fame.
It is the perfect property to be made into a film. Sleeper takes place in the WIldstorm Universe with Wildcats, Gen 13 and Stormwatch but does not require any prior knowledge of those series.
For those interested Sleeper is available in 4 trade paperback collections with a final, definite ending.
Sleeper is about Holden Carver, an Agent for a covert government organization who comes into contact with an alien artifact that fuses to his spine and makes him impervious to pain and physical damage. He also absorbs all pain and trauma he recieves and can channel it into other people.
Carver is then sent undercover by Master Spymaster John Lynch in a large criminal organization run by a master criminal named Tao.
Lynch and co. fake evidence to make Carver look like a traitor and he is forced to go underground and give up his normal life.
Only John Lynch knows that Carver is undercover and no one else knows.
Tao’s criminal organization is filled with interesting superhuman(or post-human as they are called here) beings of varying moral integrity.
Sleeper is filled with great, snappy dialogue, intrique, and some great twists and surprises.
Sleeper, like Wanted is a very adult comic with nudity, extreme violence, and profanity but all of it suits the story and is Not placed there merely for shock value.
If done right, Sleeper can make a great movie.