'Kick-Ass' Writer Jane Goldman to Pen 'Fables' for Big Screen

After years of development as both a feature film and possible TV series, it was confirmed in 2013 that Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) would bring Vertigo Comics' Fables to the big screen. Not much has been heard about the fairy tale project since, leading some to believe the book had been closed on it once again. But it turns out Fables is very much alive, and writer with considerable comic book experience has just come aboard.

According to producer David Heyman, Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class writer Jane Goldman has been brought in to script the next draft...

Heyman: “[Arcel] did a draft, and now he’s supervising Jane, who’s doing a draft. Hoping that it’ll come in and we’ll be able to move to the next stage. All these things always take longer than you want. And ‘Fables’ is not easy, by any means, but I think it’ll be pretty great.”

Fables was created by Bill Willingham and centers on a large group of familiar fairy tale characters who are very much real and living in our world.  After being evicted from their lands they now live in a place called Fabletown set in a hidden part of New York City. If it sounds a lot like Once Upon a Time, well now you know why the TV series never got off the ground. 

No updates on a start date or anything like that, but perhaps a date will be announced along with another major Vertigo adaptation in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Sandman. [CBR]

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Could Matthew Vaughn be directing 'Star Wars: Episode VII'?

Well this is certainly interesting news considering we just spoke to Yoda designer and Star Wars effects guy Nick Maley about Star Wars: Episode VII. The recent news that Disney had bought LucasFilm with the intention of beginning the next of Lucas' trilogies has sparked a lot of talk, but nothing in the way of huge rumors about who might be spearheading it. That ends now with Collider's sources saying Matthew Vaughn(Kick-Ass) is the guy for the job.

Now this is all very much a rumor at this point, but there is circumstantial evidence to support it. For one thing, Vaughn rather abruptly just dropped out of directing X-men: Days of Future Past, and while the speculation was that he was moving on to a future Mark Millar project, that could have changed or not been true in the first place. One thing that's clear is that Lucas was lining up the pieces for Episode VII long before the sale was made. We know he and Kathleen Kennedy already met with screenwriters, so it stands to reason that directors were being eyed as well.

Another aspect to this whole thing is Vaughn's association with screenwriter Jane Goldman. The two have collaborated previously on X-men: First Class, The Debt, Kick-Ass, and Stardust, so if Vaughn is involved it's likely she is as well.

Assuming this is true, I think it's a smart move as Vaughn has shown a knack for big adventure, making the best use of his budgets, and working under a serious time crunch. If Disney is planning to have this film ready by 2015 they'll want to get the ball rolling soon. So let's see how this plays out, but I want to know what you think. Is this a good move?

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You might be waiting awhile for that Kick-Ass sequel

Matthew Vaughn's been slogging through(some would say struggling with) the production of X-men: First Class, which might make you think he'd want to escape the comfort of a pet project once that was over.  Something like say...Kick-Ass 2?  Mark Millar, who has been working on the comic book sequel to Kick-Ass, basically confirmed that a film version had already been greenlit, but no official word ever came down. Now it's looking like Vaughn might not be making Kick-Ass 2 for awhile, if his frequent writing partner Jane Goldman is to believed.

This is what Goldman tweeted....

Saw a few erroneous reports today that I’m currently writing Kick Ass 2 script – sorry if anyone’s disappointed, but not true. Currently writing for 2 other projects, then on to lovely Matthew V’s next thing (right now, looks unlikely to be KA2) when X-Men post-prod’ ends.

I'm pretty sure we'll get that sequel at some point, but Vaughn is way too busy to even be thinking about any future plans right now.  With that said, what are the chances of Vaughn and Millar re-teaming for a film version of Superior?

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