The RUNAWAYS Movie Gets A Screenwriter

You might remember from a while back that NICK & NORA’S INFINITE PLAYLIST director, Pete Sollett, is attached to direct a big screen adaptation of RUNAWAYS.  Now, that project’s got a writer, according to Deadline, and his name's Neil Pearce. Who's he? A screenwriter who’s actually already got a history of handling the lighter, funnier side of superheroics. Why’s that? He’s the creator of the British show, NO HEROICS. 

RUNAWAYS has been on hiatus since last November, so here's a refresher on the book, if you need one. It's about an unofficial team of super-powered teens whose parents all happen to be members of the super-villainous group, the Pride. Being the rebellious youths that they are, the Runaways decide to defy their parents and (of course) run away to fight for good, instead of evil. The book was created Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona in '02 as part of Marvel's Tsunami line and, since their departure from the title, it's been worked on by the likes of Joss Whedon, Humberto Ramos and Terry Moore, among others.

A little more about NO HEROICS. It's about a handful of off-duty superhero drinking buddies and its title comes from the fact the pub they frequent has a strict rule… “No Heroics.” I hadn’t heard of the show before this, but the clips I’ve found online are actually pretty funny. Seems like it was mini-series that ran only six episodes in fall 2008. So, sort of like THE OFFICE, only less than half as long. Furthering the similarities to THE OFFICE, the series was actually remade for Americans by ABC, but the network declined to pick the show up after the pilot.  == TEASER == 

It stills seems kind of crazy to me that RUNAWAYS, out of all of Marvel’s titles, is getting fast-tracked like this. I wonder if it’s going to factor into the larger movie universe that Marvel’s building with IRON MAN, HULK, AVENGERS, et al. I also wonder if Vaughan is going to be involved. He’s a working screenwriter, after all.

I wonder about all of that, but the one thing I’m pretty sure about is the Pearce is going to have to rein it in a little for this project. Everything I’ve seen of NO HEROICS online is funny stuff, but definitely adult-oriented, and, call me crazy, but I figure RUNAWAYS is aiming for a PG-13 here.

Actually, why should I just describe NO HEROICS when you can watch it for yourself? However, I’ll reiterate…

WARNING - - THIS TRAILER INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY 

  

-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Studios and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia. Pre-order the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover now on Amazon.com.