Spawn

Fans and creator Todd McFarlane did not take to the 1997 film version of Spawn at all. The downfall of this movie was what we have been saying, to water down a violent character to appeal to more moviegoers and kids, just isn't going to work. By removing violence or carnage– you are removing key components of characters, their stories, and their original source material. The 1997 Spawn is a great example of why R rated comic book movies are a great idea and certainly a direction for studios to explore.

McFarland has been teasing the release of such a movie but little else has been said or done. Though the short lived HBO show got closer to the heart of Spawn, an R rated take on the demonic character would properly serve him. Spawn's storyline deals with complex themes surrounding heaven, hell, and the afterlife which is hard to waterdown in the first place. Tying in the fact that when he first returns from Hell to seek out his wife (he makes a deal with a demon to do so) he is a demonic creature with little memory of life as a human or his death. It takes some time for him to remember and to come to terms with his new identity– a hellspawn. Given the right attention and the freedom to grapple with the complexities of afterlife and Spawn's demonic tendencies, Spawn could really have the chance at having a great movie.