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David Hayter is taking up THE SWORD

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Just over a year ago, I finally put all that so called “wasted time and money ” to use and wrote up two articles (here and here) on which comic book series I thought had the potential to be turned into the next big movie.

There was one title I left off both those lists though, and for the life of me I cannot recall why I did it (I’m going with drugs) since it was just perfect for cinema. That title was the Luna Brothers’ The Sword and now its actually being adapted for the screen… by Solid Snake?

"Watchmen" Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals

According to reports from Variety, David Hayter – who most famously provided the voice of Solid Snake in the ‘Metal Gear Solid’ video game franchise for the last couple of decades, before recently being controversially replaced by Kiefer Sutherland – has been tapped to pen a big screen adaptation of Jonathan and Joshua Luna’s ‘The Sword’.

Besides for starring in the cult manga adaptation, Guyver, Hayter also has several high profile writing credits to his name (X-Men, X-2, The Scorpion King, Watchmen), a number of them for comic book adaptations, so this superpowered tale should be right up his alley.

Originally published in 2007 by Image Comics, The Sword told the story of Dara Brighton, a young, paraplegic college student who lives a pretty normal, idyllic life (well besides for the whole being wheelchair bound thing) with her father, a history professor, and the rest of her family. But Dara’s life is horribly upended when three strangers, sporting godlike powers and accusing her father of being somebody else, show up at her house one night. Her father’s insistence that he’s not the man they seek prompts some violent repercussions from the godly trio, leaving Dara’s whole family brutally killed, while she’s left for dead, buried in the wreckage of her house.

However, as fortune would have it, buried with her is an ancient sword, and once Dara, on death’s door, reaches out and touches it, she not only instantly heals (including the use of her legs again), but as long as she is contact with the sword, she possesses similar godlike abilities as her father’s mysterious three attackers.

Now using this newfound power, she plans to track them down, find exactly why they attacked her family, what the deal is with this magical sword and get some good ol’ fashion revenge.

That’s just the start of a gripping, epic and sweeping tale that involves ancient mythology, modern day heroism and a previously girl who has to come to grips with what it means to have true power.  Also, violence. It has lots and lots of violence. There are some proper messed up scenes in this book as the Luna Brothers truly explore what it would be like if gods were to not only roam the earth, but also punch and kick the living crap out of it. Think Man of Steel‘s scope of fights, only with blood, broken bones and an assortment of viscera everywhere.

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It will be interesting to see if Hayter’s script will stay true to this level of visual carnage (which was one of the book’s trademarks) or whether it would be toned down for more mainstream audiences (a mistake, if you ask me).

Lakeshore Entertainment, who acquired the rights to The Sword back in February, is looking to follow up on the success of their Underworld franchise with this, and a currently shopping it around to investors, with an eye on kicking off production early in next year.

There’s been no talk as of yet about whether Hayter – who will soon be making his feature film directorial debut with the Jason Momoa starring werewolf horror flick Wolves – will be helming as well, nor of any indication as to any potential castings.

Back in 2009, The Help star Bryce Dallas Howard revealed that she’s quite the Luna Brothers superfan and the Golden Globe nominated actress expressed more than just a passing interest in playing Dara Brighton if a live action adaptation of The Sword should ever come to pass.

Well it’s happening now, and I could certainly think of a whole lot worse candidates than Ms Howard to take up the sword and start cleaving faces in twain.

Last Updated: July 9, 2013

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