That 'Y: The Last Man' Movie is Officially Dead Again

If a film based on Brian K. Vaughn's comic book epic Y: The Last Man is ever going to happen, it won't be any time soon. The project is officially dead once again after the rights reverted back to Vaughn and artist Pia Guerra, or so says Dan Trachtenberg who was hired to direct the film last year. He responded to a fan's tweet with this...

Not happening. But it's in trusted hands (the creators). RT @AndyWagnerActor: Any updates on your Y:TLM screen adaptation? #bigfan
— Dan Trachtenberg (@DannyTRS) September 25, 2014

This isn't much of a surprise as Vaughn said earlier this year he could be getting the rights back, and Trachtenberg revealed to Slashfilm that it actually happened some months ago. The film would have been based on the first two major storylines centering on Yorick Brown, who along with pet monkey Ampersand navigate a world where the male population has been completely wiped out. A film version of the series has been in the works for a very long time and this isn't even the first time the project has been shelved. D.J. Caruso had been planning his own adaptation that never got off the ground.

So does this mean Vaughn will try again with somebody else? Or perhaps tackle the project himself? Trachtenberg is doubtful...

Trachtenberg: "I’m not sure Brian will ever want to do anything more with it and I’m not sure that he needs to."

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Emily Mortimer Eyes 'Spectral'; John Goodman in Talks for 'Valencia'; Kate Lyn Sheil Finds 'Equals'

* The lovely Emily Mortimer is in talks to board Spectral, joining James Badge Dale in the film which many have boasted is like a supernatural Black Hawk Down. Directed by Nic Mathieu with a script rewritten by George Nolfi and John Gatins, the story centers on a Special Ops team battling supernatural creatures that have taken over a European city. [THR]

* John Goodman is in talks to star in Bad Robots' small-budget thriller, Valencia. The film will be directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the guy who is supposed to be helming the forever-developing Y: The Last Man, and it centers on a girl who wakes up in an underground cellar after going unconscious after a car accident. With her as a man (Goodman) who claims the outside world has been destroyed in a nuclear attack. Filming is set to begin this fall so we should be hearing about a female lead soon. [Variety]

* Kate Lyn Sheil (House of Cards) will join Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult in Equals, the futuristic romance directed by Drake Doremus (Like Crazy) and co-starring Guy Pearce. The story is set in a future society where all human emotion has been eradicated, until a disease starts activating them in certain people. Those with their emotions switched on are banished never to be seen again. Stewart and Holt are Nia and Silas, two outcasts who find a connection with one another, although she is capable of hiding her emotions. Sheil will play their co-worker, Kate.

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Dan Trachtenberg to direct 'Y: The Last Man'

It's been one long, epic journey to the big screen for Brian K. Vaughn's classic comic book series, Y: The Last Man. It's been on the table for years, with DJ Caruso(Disturbia) long attached to direct, but for one reason or another nothing ever really came about. Last fall we learned that New Line had finally put the adaptation on the top of their priority list, and now we're learning they've settled on a director to move it forward.

Deadline reports that short film and commercials director Dan Trachtenberg has been brought on to the project, having made a name for himself with a fan film based on the Portal video game. He's taking on one of the most ambitious and cherished comics of all time, so it's kind of surprising to see it go to someone of so little feature film experience. A 5-Time Eisner Award winner, Y: The Last Man follows Yorick Brown, who along with his male Capuchin monkey named Ampersand, survive a plague that kills every mammal with a Y chromosome. The 60-issue series follows his adventures as the literal last man on earth, accompanied by the mysterious Agent 355 and geneticist Dr. Mann.

The script comes from  Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia, who adapted the Vertigo comic Human Target for the small screen. So now that's part done. Who do we think should play Yorick?

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