Posted in: Comics | Tagged: boom studios, Comics, cullen bunn, entertainment, film, The Empty Man

"The Script Is Extremely Creepy" Cullen Bunn Talks The Empty Man On The Big Screen

BOOM! Studios second announcement on the #RoadtoSanDiego was about writer extraordinaire Cullen Bunn's series The Empty Man making it's way to the big screen. Lucky for me, I got to chat with him about it…

Christine Marie: Hi Cullen! Thank you for joining me here on Bleeding Cool.

Cullen Bunn: Hi, Christine! Glad to be here!

CM: First off, congratulations! Last week brought exciting news for your BOOM! Studios series The Empty Man. This is BOOM!'s second movie underway. What does it feel like to be part of the process?

CB: Thank you! It's pretty exciting. I've been down this road before with other movie adaptations, but this is the closest one of my projects has gotten to the big screen so far. I don't know that it has really sunk in just yet, but it is pretty thrilling to see it all come together in such an exciting way.

CM: For readers who don't know, can you tell us what The Empty Man is all about?

CB: In The Empty Man the people of the world are dealing with a deadly epidemic, a kind of contagious insanity that leads to horrific hallucinations, violent fits of rage, and often death. Many people revere this disease the way they might revere a god, and numerous cults paying homage to the illness have sprung up. A joint CDC/FBI task force is trying to pinpoint the origins of the disease while contending with these murderous pseudo-religious fanatics.

CM: When you were writing the series, did you ever think that the characters would transition to the screen well?

CB: I try not not to develop comic book series as tv or movie pitches. That way leads to madness. Sometimes, though, as I'm writing a scene, I can't help but think about how a director might recreate the story I'm writing. I think that comes pretty naturally for someone who loves movies. And I don't think I could ask for a better team to bring the sort of surreal, strange atmosphere of this book to life.

CM: James Badge Dale will star. Is he a suitable actor for the vision you had in your head when creating your version of the main character?

CB: I'm a huge fan of James Badge Dale, and I think he's going to do an amazing job. When we were casting the television adaptation of The Sixth Gun, he was one of my top picks to play Drake Sinclair. His character in the film is not a direct adaptation of Agent Langford from the comic. Rather, this is a new character who exists in the world of The Empty Man. It's an exciting way to approach the story, I think, because it helps to build the mythology in some unexpected ways.

CM: Will you be working with Director, David Prior to help adapt the script?

CB: The script is all David Prior working his magic. They've sent the scripts to me for my input and feedback, and I've shared thoughts and notes, but David knows what he's doing and this movie is going to be awesome. I can tell you this, the script is extremely creepy.

CM: Is there anything else that you can share with our Bleeding Cool readers regarding this exciting announcement?

CB: Hmm. I'm not sure if there's anything I can tell you about the movie, but a lot of readers have asked if I have any plans to return to The Empty Man as a comic book. I think it's safe to say that I am working on a continuation of the original series, featuring agents Jennings and Langford as they continue their surreal, horrific adventures.
CM: Thank you so much for chatting with me. I can't wait to see the film!

CB: Thank you! Get the popcorn ready!

The Empty Man begins filming this Fall.

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