Under the banner of New Line Cinema, Mark A.Z. Dippé directed Spawn in 1997 with Michael Jai White as the primary character in the movie. Although the movie was not a success, the creator of the character, Todd McFarlane, was always keen on expanding it to a franchise.
While initially it was planned for a sequel, the idea of it was soon submerged by rebooting the movie. A wise decision, as many would say, considering the overall performance of the movie. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 star Jamie Foxx became the go-to guy of McFarlane for the reboot. However, the new update casts doubt over his involvement in the much-awaited project.
Todd McFarlane’s Spawn Update
Todd McFarlane kept his patience as he still waited for Spawn to hit the screen, long after he announced a reboot in 1998. The original Spawn movie was nowhere near the applauds McFarlane thought it deserved, but to its credit, slowly, the movie gained a cult following. It was a reassurance the creator needed, but only in 2017 did the involvement of Blumhouse was confirmed.
The following year, Jamie Foxx, in the title character and Jeremy Renner’s signing, was confirmed, but the development was delayed by WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and Django Unchained star’s health issues. However, McFarlane’s recent update might be disappointing for many fans as it casts doubt on several grounds.
“Here’s the thing about Hollywood. You have people at certain times that are attached. But again, there’s also scheduling. I could want the greatest director, but if they say, ‘You’ve got a project, and you’ve got a window, and you’ve got to shoot it in this time,’ and that director isn’t available? Then you go, ‘Oh, man.’ You’ve only got two choices, you either wait or you have to go to your other choices or whatever else,” McFarlane told Screen Rant.
Now the question is, will McFarlane or Blumhouse prefer waiting to solve the unavoidable scheduling conflicts? It has been a curse that kept many stars from wonderful roles. Most recently, Steven Yeun gave up his role in MCU’s Thunderbolts, and the new update hints the same for Foxx.
Is Jamie Foxx as Spawn Still On The Card?
It would be wise to assume that by scheduling, McFarlane was referring to Foxx as the actor has been very busy over the years with several projects under his belt. But still, the Oscar winner is not out of the project until there is a deciding factor that would set the barrier.
Undoubtedly, WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have changed the very landscape of Hollywood, at least, creating a roadblock with contretemps. Spawn also had to endure the negative effects of it. Still, McFarlane kept his fingers crossed.
“We’re all hoping, fingers crossed, that the team that we assembled at the beginning will still somehow all be involved. But we’ll have to let it all play out, right? And because I think ultimately the people spending $100 million bucks are going to be the ones that are going to dictate [those big decisions]. But Jamie’s my guy. So, until somebody tells me otherwise, Jamie is my guy,” he told Screen Rant.
Of course, every major decision will not involve McFarlane as Blumhouse may not have the same patience as the creator. This is also an indicator of the fact that the studio might part ways with the actor if he fails to create the space for the movie. Currently, the movie is in development, and further updates will confirm Foxx’s involvement. The movie is expected to hit the theaters in 2025.
