Newsarama: Whatever Happened to Bloodshot Movie?

[Keith]

http://www.newsarama.com/30970-whatever ... movie.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ShadowTuga]

Good to see some news bit regarding this. Not much info, but I'll take it.
Thanks for sharing, Keith!

[Sven the Returned]

Although neither Valiant or Sony would comment on this story, a source close to the project told Newsarama that Sony is “in love” with the prospective Valiant film franchise and had recently tasked Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer to do a script re-write of Bloodshot.

This kinds of scares me if they did not have to get this okayed with the Valiant leadership

[Phoenix8008]

Although neither Valiant or Sony would comment on this story, a source close to the project told Newsarama that Sony is “in love” with the prospective Valiant film franchise and had recently tasked Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer to do a script re-write of Bloodshot.

This kinds of scares me if they did not have to get this okayed with the Valaine leadership

Why would they need VEI's approval to write up a story about no news recently on the movies? Oh, you mean if Sony made a script rewrite happen without VEI's approval? Maybe they did have approval and we just don't know about it?

[depluto]

Maybe it's going to be a silent movie?

[Ladakh]

Forget that- where's the Harbinger movie promised years ago?

You wanna know what I think- these guys are making up pretend movies just to see if anyone will send a cease and desist order and they did it again with Bloodshot.

[Nairbe]

Forget that- where's the Harbinger movie promised years ago?

You wanna know what I think- these guys are making up pretend movies just to see if anyone will send a cease and desist order and they did it again with Bloodshot.

I'm shocked that you have a negative comment to add.

[Phoenix8008]

Forget that- where's the Harbinger movie promised years ago?

You wanna know what I think- these guys are making up pretend movies just to see if anyone will send a cease and desist order and they did it again with Bloodshot.

Why would someone else send them a C&D when they own the rights?

[Ladakh]

They don't own C&D. Ask Jim Shooter about this. This whole thing is a sham and there are no movies coming out ever... they just want to secure rights... this is all silly.

[Tony_H]

They don't own C&D. Ask Jim Shooter about this. This whole thing is a sham and there are no movies coming out ever... they just want to secure rights... this is all silly.

So you're suggesting that they're trying to draw out ownership contestants solely to prove movie rights to these characters? Businesses make plenty of decisions every day that baffle outsiders, but your theory presumes an awfully expensive buy and hold strategy...what would be the ultimate goal? To someday sell the lot to a bigger entity like Disney?

[Keith]

They don't own C&D. Ask Jim Shooter about this. This whole thing is a sham and there are no movies coming out ever... they just want to secure rights... this is all silly.

[jmatt]

They don't own C&D. Ask Jim Shooter about this. This whole thing is a sham and there are no movies coming out ever... they just want to secure rights... this is all silly.

I think it is unlikely that DMG committed nine figures so they could smoke out lawsuits to properties they own outright. Or that Sony and DMG would waste their time and money without having their legal departments go over everything with a fine-tooth comb.

You don't have to tear down the present to glory in the past. Without VEI resurrecting the line, Valiant would be a non-entity like Malibu, sitting in the 50 cent bins awaiting the dustbin of history.

[grendeljd]

Good to see some news bit regarding this. Not much info, but I'll take it.
Thanks for sharing, Keith!

+1 - even though this whole thing seems likely to be pushed back a bit, nice to see someone publicly writing about it to help keep awareness up.

Cool to see one of our own pictured in-costume in that article, too!

[lorddunlow]

I'm just waiting to hear news about the Nightman movie.

[DirtbagSailor]

I like the original Valiant Universe.

I like the current Valiant Universe.

What I don't understand is what Knob Row has against the current Valiant Universe. Many of the artists involved are quite talented, as are many of the writers, who are (from my interactions at least) nice people.

As for the Harbinger movie a few years ago...

I wrote an article last year based on discussions I had with, and information I received last year from VEI.

In March of 2008 it was announced:

“Paramount Pictures has acquired rights to turn the Valiant Comics series “Harbinger” into a live-action feature that will be developed as a potential directing vehicle for Brett Ratner. Alexandra Milchan will produce with Ratner and Jay Stern. The project may be branded under the MTV Films banner.” (source: Variety Magazine: “Ratner eyes Valiant’s ‘Harbinger’”)

However, Variety Magazine was wrong; Paramount Pictures had NOT acquired the rights to Harbinger from Valiant at any point. They were negotiating at the time. Brett Ratner was supposed to come on board for the project, if Paramount Pictures had been successful in sealing a deal, which did not occur.

Paramount Pictures was pushing a deal that Dinesh and Valiant did not feel was in the best interest of the publisher, nor was it for Harbinger. Dinesh made the decision to NOT close the deal with Paramount, and both he and Valiant took it internal; developing and releasing the comic.

[DirtbagSailor]

Ryan Reynolds once said (about Deadpool)

For me, the saga starts in 2005, when I was first introduced to "Deadpool" and kind of officially commited to doing it. I was meeting with Avi Arad – this was back when he ran Marvel. Back then we were trying to develop it with ["Dark Knight" trilogy screenwriter] David Goyer, and a couple of other people came and went. Then Fox obviously started handling everything from there. And that just turned into a roller-coaster ride of stagnation for everyone, really.

It would vanish off the radar, then it would come back. It was a real sort of emotional yo-yo. I’ve always likened it to the worst relationship I’ve ever been in: on-again, off-again, occasionally sleeping together, which just causes more pain. And then finally it ended in a really lovely wedding...

Of course it's fun to go back a few years and read Deadpool forum comments about the question "Will there really be a Deadpool movie in 2014???"

I'm going to say no just based on the fact that the Deadpool popularity surge seems to be on a downturn. Not saying anything bad about the character just that the Deadpool fever of a few years ago when the movie was first brought up has mostly died out.

Probably not. Has anybody read that script that was going around, though?

Nah.

There could never be a deadpool movue unless they change a lot of things especially the fact that in the last wolverine movie they killed off the character he was the guy at the end who got his head cut off he was referred as the deadpool

Until I get a screenshot of movie footage, I say no. I've treatened myself with hope long enough...

I don't really know. It would be cool, but then again it wouldnt be.

I don't like Ryan as Deadpool. I don't think he fits it that well, I guess I just have high standers. Neil Patrick Harris would make an interesting and good Deadpool.

Has anyone read the leaked script? I only read the first couple of pages, because I didn't want to spoil it but it seemed really good so far. Sadly I think it will be a while before this movie gets made (if ever).

this movie is never going to happen unless ryan reynolds decides to use his own money and just make it himself- honestly if reynolds was never a fan at all- there would be no chance or even talk of a deadpool movie. too bad no1 really liked the videogame its considered a bomb- but if it was successful could have been a diff story

Pssh NO. As in, not even maybe. No way will it come out in 2014. Look at how barren its imdb page is. Give it a few years, and even then, it could still easily be dropped.

These comments were made in the two to four years prior to the film's release. As we now know, Deadpool WAS NOT released in 2014; it was released in 2016 and pulled in $745 million placing it just behind the film The Passion of the Christ.

What does this have to do with Bloodshot? Nothing. Everything.

But we need to be aware that these movie projects are not the same as ordering food at a restaurant. They take time, have production issue, release date concerns, actor/director/producer problems, and often a unreliable stage hand with a cocaine habit. Give it time and have some faith. We already have a LOT more than we did 2-3 years ago.

[Watchtower]

It's pretty much been guaranteed for some time now that a 2017 Bloodshot movie wasn't happening. Even if production somehow went completely underground (which in this day and age is effectively impossible) we would've had at least a trailer by now.

And hey, if they need more time to really make the VCU a smash-hit, then I'll let them have their time. The DCEU's sputtering right now because they're jumping the gun, and doing it poorly. Valiant just better be ready to compete, is all.

Without VEI resurrecting the line, Valiant would be a non-entity like Malibu, sitting in the 50 cent bins awaiting the dustbin of history.

This also should be stressed. A Valiant movie was never going to happen before 2012. Risk-averse Hollywood would've seen it as an unknown property bought about by a company that proceeded to implode on itself. VEI needed to happen.

[Phoenix8008]

They don't own C&D. Ask Jim Shooter about this. This whole thing is a sham and there are no movies coming out ever... they just want to secure rights... this is all silly.

You don't have to tear down the present to glory in the past. Without VEI resurrecting the line, Valiant would be a non-entity like Malibu, sitting in the 50 cent bins awaiting the dustbin of history.

+1

I love both the new and the old, Valiant and VALIANT comics. And the new stuff wouldn't have happened without the original stuff. You're entitled to your opinion Knob Row, but I hope that if/when you're proved wrong by movies coming out, that you have enough honor to eat some crow and admit you were wrong. You never have to like the new comics, and I don't expect you to root for VEI because they and Jim Shooter had issues and you're always on Jim's side, but I hope you're wrong for the sake of the characters and stories that deserve a wider audience and more fans to enjoy them.

[QUARTZ]

I think it's better to wait until the big 2 get their movies out of the way, or at least until DC totally screws up and pulls back a little.

I think a gory, action laden Bloodshot movie sounds *SQUEE*, but I am worried about the perceived "superhero fatigue" of some movie goers. The thing Bloodshot has going for it is that he isn't a typical spandex wearing superhero, it can be sold as something more like Terminator. I think they should emphasize the sci-fi aspects of the story, really make it out like it's not another typical comic book movie, it's something more like Robocop or Predator, a character that could exist on the comic page but feels real. It needs to be R-rated too for violence; give something for the adults.

[bygranddesign]

It needs to be R-rated too for violence; give something for the adults.

I asked this question at a 2015 con (about whether the movie will be Rated R) and I felt like I got a dismissive answer about how they don't control the ratings.

And it sort of baffled me. It seemed like a layup question.

You don't have to have great knowledge of the movie industry to understand how a character should translate to the movie screen.

Spiderman is a PG/PG-13 character

Punisher is Rated R character

Bloodshot movie should have elements of:

Science Fiction
War Action
Mystery / Identity drama
And over the top head exploding, bone breaking, take my *SQUEE* shattered ulna bone and stick it in your *SQUEE* eye type bloody violence

The DNA of Bloodshot clearly translates into a rated R movie if done correctly

If you asked that same question to Ryan Reynolds when he was trying to get Deadpool made ... i'm sure he would have said *SQUEE* yeah its going to be *SQUEE* Rated R.

Of course Dinesh understands the dNA of Bloodshot ... but I fear not everyone around him has that passion of how these characters should translate to the movie screen. They need someone with pull in the movie industry that is not going to allow the character to be watered down ... into some Jason Bourne wannabe movie.

My hope is that the delay is a good thing. They saw the success of Deadpool and said 'ok' we can make it more of an adult oriented "superhero" movie that is super-violent. Hopefully they understand that Deadpool is his own character and Bloodshot is NOT a silly, sarcastic, wise cracking, 4th wall breaking character.

[QUARTZ]

I think they are hesitant about going for the R-rating because it can potentially limit the audience and China might not pick it up. That alone can make or break some movies. It baffled me when movies like Alien Vs Predator got a PG rating, same with Terminator and Robocop (remake), but I feel like its mostly done for purely financial rather than artistic reasons. I really, really want Bloodshot to be R-rated, but nothing is guaranteed, even if the source material screams "R". It took ten years of begging and pleading for them to make Deadpool.

[Sven the Returned]

I think they are hesitant about going for the R-rating because it can potentially limit the audience and China might not pick it up. That alone can make or break some movies. It baffled me when movies like Alien Vs Predator got a PG rating, same with Terminator and Robocop (remake), but I feel like its mostly done for purely financial rather than artistic reasons. I really, really want Bloodshot to be R-rated, but nothing is guaranteed, even if the source material screams "R". It took ten years of begging and pleading for them to make Deadpool.

How much money is really needed? Depends on the type of story that is told. I am sure the Wick guys can make an amazing movie that is smaller scale that is cinematic.

[Joshua]

A Bloodshot movie has to deliver the goods or else there may not be a Harbinger film. I just worry that there's going to be changes made that make the character differ quite a bit from the comic version in an attempt to broaden the appeal. Yes, we can visualize the comic version as something that translates to the screen but people far removed from reading comics will make decisions based on their gut or what their heart tells them and then what are you left with?

And I know this is going to sting with some but I don't care. I feel the movie talk has hurt things when it comes to trying to be a collector. The weekend the DMG news broke, I had a lot of weird conversations and broken sales on VFans to people telling me they could no longer finish a sale because now these books could be worth money. All of a sudden a $5 variant could not be sold or they needed to keep 20 keys of the same issue.

[Ladakh]

Anyone going to the USPTO can see I tried securing the rights to Dr. Solar after Acclaim and Western abandoned them.

The thing to understand is you may own the copyright but not the trademark material... the actual artists.

For example, if I made a Harbinger movie with Jim's permission (he owns Harbinger), and the movie makes $100 million... then all the artists who worked on Harbinger will sue me for TM infringement.

Jim was even more precise with Marv Wolfman suing Marvel over the Blade trilogy. Wolfman lost because MARVEL owns Blade, not you, the artist who contributed to it. This is a festering problem VEI has- the fear of being sued for, say, reprinting Rai #0 or Magnus #12.

So they announce they're going to make a movie with a character they have questionable rights to just to weed out the lawsuits. Once a period of time passes, the SOL expires and the TM defaults to VEI and they publish the COMIC BOOKS knowing no one is going to question them because they already had a chance to do so... That's also why before VEI owned Valiant some idiot was handing out comics of Valiant characters all in black clothing... remember? Those other idiots were trying to pick up the copyright, not the trademark.

I might have my legal terms switched but the point is the same. And it's amazing the Kirby family is not suing Fox over the FF.

[lorddunlow]

Anyone going to the USPTO can see I tried securing the rights to Dr. Solar after Acclaim and Western abandoned them.

The thing to understand is you may own the copyright but not the trademark material... the actual artists.

For example, if I made a Harbinger movie with Jim's permission (he owns Harbinger), and the movie makes $100 million... then all the artists who worked on Harbinger will sue me for TM infringement.

Jim was even more precise with Marv Wolfman suing Marvel over the Blade trilogy. Wolfman lost because MARVEL owns Blade, not you, the artist who contributed to it. This is a festering problem VEI has- the fear of being sued for, say, reprinting Rai #0 or Magnus #12.

So they announce they're going to make a movie with a character they have questionable rights to just to weed out the lawsuits. Once a period of time passes, the SOL expires and the TM defaults to VEI and they publish the COMIC BOOKS knowing no one is going to question them because they already had a chance to do so... That's also why before VEI owned Valiant some idiot was handing out comics of Valiant characters all in black clothing... remember? Those other idiots were trying to pick up the copyright, not the trademark.

I might have my legal terms switched but the point is the same. And it's amazing the Kirby family is not suing Fox over the FF.

You definitely have your terms switched, but VEI owns the TM on the Valiant properties, which is all you need to use those names/characters. No one would bother suing over Bloodshot - the TM is clearly owned outright by Dinesh and Co. Also, if I understand correctly, all Valiant work was done under contracts that gave rights to Valiant - and those rights were purchased by VEI. There may be some disputes there, but the timeframe for those creators to claim rights have passed. It's like when Monsanto makes a new chemical - there is a scientist responsible for creating it, but they give all their rights to Monsanto because Monsanto funded it all.

The reason they are not touching the Gold Key properties is that the TM and rights are very nebulous and likely lie with Dreamworks now. They could make an argument that they could use some aspects, but why bother?