TOM KING to write NEW GODS film -- thoughts?

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Batman/Mr. Miracle/Heroes in Crisis/Vision/Omega Men writer Tom King will write the New Gods film for DC with Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle in Time) previously attached to direct.

In fact, she confirmed it herself with a post on Twitter:

Hey ⁦@TomKingTK⁩. Ready to write NEW GODS, buddy? A.

https://twitter.com/ava/status/11338...063488/photo/1

The Twitter reaction seems highly positive so far, but given the reaction Heroes in Crisis has been getting -- especially for its last 2 issues -- is "Tom King" a good brand right now?

I haven't read Mr. Miracle and probably won't, but if it's written in the same style as Batman or HIC with lots of emo-dialogue and stuttering coupled with the tiresome "break the hero down" plot, this will really be a wasted opportunity for a New Gods film.

I want a New Gods film to be big, colorful, cosmic, and epic, and I don't know if we're going to get that from Tom King. Then, there's the reality that Ms. DuVernay has never actually had a hit movie.

That would be okay if her big feature, A Wrinkle in Time, were at least well-reviewed and a cult classic or something, but it isn't.

A Wrinkle in Time premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on February 26, 2018, with its theatrical release on March 9, 2018. With a total production and marketing budget of around $250 million, the film was a box office bomb, grossing $132 million worldwide. The film received negative reviews, with critics taking issue "with the film's heavy use of CGI and numerous plot holes", while others "celebrated its message of female empowerment and diversity".

So, getting back to Tom King, are you confident that he can deliver a great New Gods film script? What elements of Tom King's writing do you think are best suited and least suited to a film of this type?

Post your comments, take the poll and cast your vote!

[Judge Dredd]

Most writers do not seem to know what to do with the New Gods I suspect this will be the same. Basically Kirby, Morrison, and Simonson got it. If anyone should be helping the director it should be Morrison, but that would most likely end up being to complex for a single film.

[Tofali]

I thought he was co-writing the movie?

[XPac]

Most writers do not seem to know what to do with the New Gods I suspect this will be the same. Basically Kirby, Morrison, and Simonson got it. If anyone should be helping the director it should be Morrison, but that would most likely end up being to complex for a single film.

Yeah, it'll be tricky to transfer that over to the big screen. Most comic book franchises have to be dumbed down a little bit for the movies anyways, but New Gods is especially tough since even the comics 90% of the time don't really capture the scope of them. In most books they're just potrayed as powerful characters that Superman can punch out, rather than capture the scope of beings literally from a higher dimensional plane.

[Judge Dredd]

Yeah, it'll be tricky to transfer that over to the big screen. Most comic book franchises have to be dumbed down a little bit for the movies anyways, but New Gods is especially tough since even the comics 90% of the time don't really capture the scope of them. In most books they're just potrayed as powerful characters that Superman can punch out, rather than capture the scope of beings literally from a higher dimensional plane.

Exactly these are beings that are above even our imaginations they are gods from outside the multiverse, so large and abstract that the fall of Darkseid literally caused the entire multiverse to collapse.

[David Walton]

Tom King's an extremely talented writer so this sounds like good news to me.

[Judge Dredd]

After HiC and Batman I think he is one the most overrated writer in comics. He even explained how poor of a writer he is when it comes to things, for HiC he wrote the plot then had editors insert the characters they wanted him to use so he then tries to jam these square pegs into round holes expecting it to work. Guy is a hack had 2 good books then got way over hyped. Also writing books does not equal good comic or script writing.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I liked some of his early work (Vision, Sherrif of Babylon) but Heroes in Crisis is a misfire so I'm skeptical.

I liked his Mister Miracle tho.

[Flash Gordon]

Hopefully it'll be decent. I imagine it won't be focused around Orion, which seems foolish.

[Sam Robards, Comic Fan]

I'm optimistic, but I'm just curious who the POV character is going to be. Considering that King wrote Mr. Miracle, Scott's the likely candidate, but he's honestly my least favorite of the notable New Gods characters. I think Orion would be a better choice.

We'll see, though. At the very least, the movie should be visually arresting. One would hope, anyway.

[XPac]

I'm optimistic, but I'm just curious who the POV character is going to be. Considering that King wrote Mr. Miracle, Scott's the likely candidate, but he's honestly my least favorite of the notable New Gods characters. I think Orion would be a better choice.

We'll see, though. At the very least, the movie should be visually arresting. One would hope, anyway.

I woyld guess Mr. Miracle, as it gets a pov character with a love interest who spends time on earth. But yeah, I would think its him or Orion.

[Soubhagya]

I don't know. But i am optimistic.

Mister Miracle by King was great. People are almost unanimous in that. It was very well received unlike Batman or HIC where reception is mixed.

Normally, i would welcome it. Its a no brainer. One of the most well received work in New Gods in recent times is by King. But that story was more 'psychological'. Deadpool would say its dark and serious. So defintely in DC universe. (I am not sure about the later issues since, i haven't completed it). That's not how you introduce the New Gods. That kind of thing is more suited for the sequel when the world has been established properly. But then who knows what King's contribution would be.

Hopefully, it turns out great. They are really going ahead with New Gods?

[Hypestyle]

make the movie fun and people should come. Not too dark. We've seen that over and over. Well, on the DC side of the fence anyway.

[Dr. Skeleton]

They guy who made us believe that BatCat was gonna get married and then pulls the rug from under us? Uh...NO!

[chamber-music]

I'm optimistic, but I'm just curious who the POV character is going to be.

It's been long rumored the film will focus on Mister Miracle and Big Barda with Granny Goodness and the Furies as the villains.

DuVernay said Big Barda is her favorite character a few years ago in a twitter Q&A.