Famed comic writer Brian K. Vaughan inks overall deal with Legendary

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Wow! Between the new AVENGERS: ENDGAME teaser trailer, the announcement of a PLASTIC MAN movie being put into development, and word that WHIP IT! scribe Shauna Cross is set to pen an hourlong female superhero saga for eOne called DEADTOWN, it's been a very big day for comics in Hollywood. What's that? You want more exciting news, do ya? Well then, you're in luck, because it's just been confirmed that storied comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan has inked a three-year overall deal with Legendary Entertainment. As per the deal, Legendary will adapt several of Vaughan’s creator-owned comics, in addition to producing exclusive, original projects developed by Vaughan for film and television across traditional and non-traditional platforms.

Yoooooooooooo, fans of BKV, you know what this means, right? We could be looking at adaptations related to such Vaughan titles as Pride of Baghdad, We Stand on Guard, Paper Girls, and of course … Saga! Oh, and before you say anything, yes, I am aware that both Vaughan and his brilliant Saga co-creator and artist Fiona Staples have stated that they have no plans to adapt the series to film, but perhaps this new deal will change their minds? Hey, I can dream, can't I? I hear that Morena Baccarin and Oscar Isaac would be perfect for the roles of Alana and Marko, respectively. Just sayin'.

After the news broke, Nick Pepper, President of Legendary Television Studios stated, “Through truly inspired storytelling, Brian has created immersive, compelling worlds that are devoured by fans worldwide.” He then added “We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with Brian to bring his visions and extraordinary library of work to the screen.”

Vaughan then expressed his enthusiasm about partnering with Legendary Entertainment by saying, “Legendary was instrumental in helping to revolutionize the way the world thought of ‘comic-book movies,’ so it’s a tremendous honor to work with them on adaptations of some of my and my talented collaborators’ past and current comics, and I’m looking forward to hopefully creating a few wholly original stories with them, as well.”

In the past, Vaughan has been awarded 14 Eisner Awards, 14 Harvey Awards and a Hugo Award for his and Fiona's work on Saga alone. Currently, the duo are on a year-long hiatus from the sensual and action-packed sci-fi epic, after devastating readers with the heartbreaking release of Saga #54. As for Vaughan's other work, Paper Girls recently left readers reeling after the shocking events of issue #25. Additionally, if Vaughan's name is ringing bells in your head, it might be because he is also the co-creator of Marvel's RUNAWAYS. Vaughan and the title's co-creator, artist Adrian Alphona, launched the series in July of 2003 to much acclaim. In time, the RUNAWAYS were given their own TV series courtesy of Marvel and Hulu, which is set to debut its second season in January of 2019.

It certainly is a great time to be a comic book fan, as it feels like lately so many wonderful properties are being given the chance to shine on both the big and small screens. Here's hoping that Vaughan and Staples can settle on a worthy adaptation of Saga. If not, I certainly hope that a film version of Paper Girls is up for consideration. After all, I'm not sure that FX's planned adaptation of Vaughan's Y: The Last Man starring Diane Lane will sustain me. I feel like Veruca Salt in WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY over here, I just want more!

Source: Deadline Hollywood

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.