Friday, July 15, 2005
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SPAWN: THE ANIMATION PANEL
SAN DIEGO -- Keith David will be returning to do the voice of Spawn in Spawn: The Animation, Terry Fitzgerald of Todd McFarlane Productions said Thursday at a panel devoted to the film at Comic-Con International.
"That was never a question," Fitzgerald said of David, who did the voice of Spawn for three seasons in its previous animated incarnation on HBO.
The film is from McFarlane Productions and IDT Entertainment. Fitzgerald said it could appear on television before arriving on DVD, with plans for a second-quarter release in 2006.
"We're treating it as a backdoor pilot," he said. "Would we like it to be on HBO? Yes, we've had conversations with them, as well as Showtime."
Still in the middle of preproduction, the creators showed off a brief montage -- ending with David's voice, "Tell them I'm coming" -- as well as designs, background and 3D imagery to be used.
The movie picks up seven years after the TV series left off.
"When we meet Spawn, he's not the way you remember him," director Chuck Patton said. "Spawn's been sleeping for seven years and something wakes him up -- and he's pissed."
Fitzgerald said that Cogliostro and The Clown will not be appearing, although Sam and Twitch will be back.
Among the new characters that designs were shown for are Lukas, the new villain and a young Russian who is an up-and-coming mobster who comes into power by playing off cultural superstitions; Marie, a haunted character and seer who comes under the color of Lukas; Barabas, a tank of a man who is Lukas' right-hand man; Jackie, a friend of Marie's who mad one bad decision that will haunt her; and Perry, a meth fiend and Jackie's boyfriend.
Fitzgerald said there will not be nudity or gratutitous sexual imagery, but the film will contain violence, blood and "bad language."
"It's not for anyone under the age of 13," he said.
Other voice roles have not been announced yet, although Fitzgerald said it's possible some HBO talent will come back, possibly in different roles. He also said that actors from the Spawn movie might be involved as well as "superstars from in other arenas."
Look for more on Spawn: The Animation soon here in The Continuum.
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