cusack_and_elba

John Cusack says “I don’t know if there are any more superheroes left”, but he knows as well as we do that there’s plenty more, cape-free comic books ripe for big screen adaptation, and that a great number of them seem fit to make for rather good movies. One project in particular has caught his eye, and that’s the movie adaptation of Preacher that Sam Mendes is still attached to and that John August has been screenwriting.

Meanwhile, Idris Elba - The Wire’s Stringer Bell and Roque in The Losers - would really like a role in any 100 Bullets movie that might come along from Brian Azarello and Eduardo Risso’s comic. I spoke to him at the MCM Expo last month (think: the UK’s Comic-Con, smaller but getting bigger and better all the time) and while the full details of what I found out about The Losers are still pending, I can tell you what he was saying on the subject of his dream comic book role after the break.

First, Preacher. Cusack is out and about on the campaign trail for 2012, where i09 spoke to him about comic book adaptations:

I think the adult comics are some of the best film ideas out there… there was one or two that I heard of that sounded really cool. One of them was about, I think… it’s a vampire and a killer, and they’re on the road, and it’s this really strange story.

They ask him if it’s Preacher and the name seems to ring a bell. That’s good enough for me. I mean, what else is it going to be? But is he going to get involved? If he has any say it, then yes:

I’m trying to. I heard about that one, I like that. [As] I’d say either the vampire or the priest. One of those two guys.

On the other hand, Idris Elba knew the name of the comic he was interested in, without a single ounce of doubt:

There’s a thing that Vertigo do called 100 Bullets. I like that. I think it could be an interesting little thing. I’ve just started reading it and it could be quite interesting.

So, has he actually spoken to anybody about a role in the film? Nope. Maybe that’s why he wants this idea out there, running around the interwebs. All he’s done so far is make sure to be “keeping an eye on it”.

I’ll be doing the same, and I wont be surprised to see him end up with a role as the project moves forward and, as far as Cusack goes, I’d like to hope he’d be in with a shot too.

  • Manwich9000
    Preacher cannot be made into a "summer blockbuster" movie. It is (in some peoples eyes) way to blasphemous.
  • [A]
    ..who talked about a summer blockbuster..?
  • BrendonConnelly
    So is Harry Potter.
  • pete
    yeah it could, they could just change it to be more audience friendly... it could work, remember even will smith said ass in ID4, and that was like over 10 years ago... atleast they could keep arseface...
  • [A]
    Stringer Bell in a 100 Bullets movie? Cusack in Preacher? That'd be great, really.
  • Nice. I love Idris Elba from the wire. I am glad to see him carving out some roles and getting attention in movies now.
  • cookie
    preacher isn't about a killer and a vampire, and Cusack is way too old and soft for either role
    sweet jaysus i hope he is just talking out his arseface
  • Raey
    i'd have to agree about cusack... but he's probably too old for arseface as well... i think he was referring to the preacher when he said vampire and a killer... if all he'd read was the first few lines of the initial plot, it would probably only explain as far as a preacher meeting vampire and a killer on the road... the killer being tulip...
  • My2cents
    I have to agree. Love Cusack but this would ruin Preacher for me! Unless maybe they make him Arseface's Dad... but is that to bit a part?
  • Serris
    Wasn't there a rumor of 100 Bullets being developed as an HBO series? Did I dream that up?
  • greggorybasore
    someone on this site reported something about Azzarello making a cryptic comment a few months back about developing it for TV and then saying "well not just tv" which was taken as an allusion to HBO's slogan "It's not just TV it's HBO."
  • No Really.
    The fuck? He's british? Damn he's good.
  • He's very good. He was brilliant in the UK TV series Ultraviolet. Starred Jack Davenport and the first episode also had the main bloke from True Blood in it
  • Really
    don't ya hate it when british actors can do american... when will american actors get to play the british in a day time soap... i bet someone like cusack could pull it off...
  • I was wondering if Cusack was talking about the Priest film with Paul Bettany, but that's already started shooting.

    Can't really see Cusack as either Jesse or Cassidy.

    100 Bullets would be a cracking film, but like many Vertigo titles I see it working better as a HBO series
  • Maybe if he lost some weight and dyed his hair he could pull off Cassidy? problem is the accent, dno if he can pull that off D:
  • NoName7579
    Cusack No, Elba Yes.
  • Mike
    Cusack has no idea what he's talking about and is completely wrong for every role in the Preacher series - and I like the guy.

    Elba is great in, well, everything. I'd love to see him tackle more comic-fare after The Losers.
  • goobity
    " [As] I’d say either the vampire or the priest. One of those two guys."

    It's called PREACHER, John. Not PREIST. And no...I don't see you in the role at all. Remember what happened to Keanu when he failed in his effort with Hellblazer? Same deal here. Sorry man.
    Can I buy you a pen, and we'll call it even?
  • e20
    For the love of Ray J!!

    Has no one here read 100 Bullets?

    There is no worthy character in that comic Idris Elba could play unless they dress him up as an older man and he plays Loop's dad which would be cool if they can't get denzel, freeman, snipes, sam jackson, or fishburne in that order.
  • Chen
    From his looks alone (since I've never watched The Wire), I could maybe see him as Ronnie Rome.
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