For nearly a decade, comic book fans have been clamoring for an animated The Goon movie. Back in 2012, David Fincher was attached to direct, with animation helmed by Blur Studio and a budget partially raised by fans on Kickstarter. (However, rumors of a Goon movie began as early as 2008.) Well, another visual savant has stepped in to take Fincher’s place – Tim Miller, the director of Deadpool and co-founder of Blur Studio.
Since 1999, Eric Powell’s The Goon, published by Dark Horse Comics, has had a dedicated cult following. Powell gleefully fuses horror and crime comics with his brash, ultra-violent sensibility (think Chinatown with zombies). Although a fan favorite, the long-running series has struggled to make it to the big screen partly because R-rated animated features have always made studios squeamish. The success of 2016’s Sausage Party may have opened the door for more adult animation.
In a video interview with Collider, Miller describes The Goon film as “Army of Darkness meets Goodfellas.” Paul Giamatti and Clancy Brown were originally cast, but it remains to be seen if they will ultimately return to the revived project.
With a script penned by Powell, The Goon sounds like popcorn cinema at its finest. Miller promises more details soon.