Sam Raimi has signed on to produce superhero comedy, The Transplants, for Disney.
Now, we spoke to him at Comic-Con on Saturday – you think he could have mentioned that to us, don’t you? Saved us all a lot of bother.
Anyway, The Transplants is based on a pitch from writers Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, which had originally been earmarked to become a comic book. However, when Disney exec Kristin Burr heard the premise, she said, ‘Comic book? Are you insane? This should be a movie! Here, have a deal in the mid-to-high six figures, you crazy scribes!’
Well, she probably said that. Or something very similar.
Actually, the premise of the film is being kept under wraps, but Disney did reveal that it’s a superhero comedy with room for an ensemble cast. So, based on that and the title, we’re going to stick our necks out and say that it’s about a group of ordinary people who receive transplanted organs from a dead superhero and acquire superpowers as a result. If we’re right, that’s a pretty great premise. If we’re wrong, then we’re going to write that movie ourselves. Hands off, we saw it first.
Raimi’s involvement might not extend beyond producing, but you never know. He’s yet to commit to a project after he finishes his return to horror, Drag Me To Hell. It could be Spider-Man 4. Or a new Jack Ryan film. Or… The Transplants. Who knows?
Epstein and Jacobson made their names as writers of Not Another Teen Movie, which bucked the trend of recent spoofs by actually being vaguely witty. Their next movie, which they co-wrote and directed, is Extreme Movie, starring Michael Cera. We hope it’s better than the title.