Jason Blum reveals the title of Todd McFarlane’s long-gestating Spawn movie, King Spawn, set to be Blumhouse’s version of a superhero film.
Do not adjust your screen. We have an honest-to-goodness update about Todd McFarlane’s long-gestating Spawn movie. According to Jason Blum, the new Spawn feature is called King Spawn. On Monday, the Blumhouse Productions CEO announced the title on social media alongside the script’s cover page. In the image, Matt Mixon, Malcolm Spellman, and Scott Silver‘s names appear on the document, with credit to Todd McFarlane as the creator of Spawn. It’s been almost a decade since McFarlane teased the film reboot.
— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) July 22, 2024
According to Blum, Jamie Foxx will still play Albert Francis “Al” Simmons in the upcoming film, with a brief synopsis revealing other notable franchise characters included in the story. Here’s the official synopsis:
“NYPD detective Twitch Williams investigates a series of grisly murder scenes, perpetrated by the mysterious supernatural vigilante Spawn.” The Twitch Williams character refers to one part of McFarlane’s Sam and Twitch duo. Sam Burke and his long-time partner, Maximillian Williams III (aka. Twitch), are two seasoned Detectives from the NYPD Homicide Division. Their work on the city’s more esoteric and bizarre cases eventually led them to the Hellspawn known as Al Simmons. An uneasy alliance was formed as both sides attempted to do what was right for the denizens of Rat City.
“Yes, I’m going to bring the Blumhouse edge [to the Spawn movie],” said Jason Blumhouse about using Spawn to introduce the studio’s take on the superhero genre. “It’s going to be edgy and original as compared to other superhero movies. It’s gonna definitely feel like the Blumhouse version of a superhero movie.”
Mark A.Z. Dippé directed 1997’s Spawn, which starred Micahel Jai White as Al Simmons. The film also stars Martin Sheen as Jason Wynn and John Leguizamo in an unforgettable and grotesque role as the villain Clown. Critics mostly panned Spawn upon its release, scoring 17% Fresh on RottenTomatoes. Since then, Spawn has been considered by many to be a cult classic of questionable quality. Regardless of the previous film’s reception, Spawn continues to thrive in the comic book arena, and I’m surprised it’s taken this long for a King Spawn to come together.
Are you excited about Jason Blum spearheading King Spawn? What do you think about Jamie Foxx taking on the role of Al Simmons? Let us know in the comments section below.
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.