Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s Wildstorm/Top Shelf comic The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is getting a second big screen adaption. The comic, which features Victorian-era literary characters such as Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Allan Quatermain and Dracula’s Mina Harker, was previously made into a film in 2003, with disastrous results. In addition to making some significant changes (such as the addition of a grown up Tom Sawyer to “Americanize” it), the production itself did not go well, with director Stephen Norrington and star Sean Connery clashing on set. It would be Norrington’s last directorial effort, and Connery’s last film performance. The film was not received well by critics or the box office.
Alan Moore has been very outspoken about his objections to his work being adapted, and has requested his name not be used on screen. Quite frankly, we don’t need another comic book movie, but at least Fox and producer John Davis are attempting to remake a film that wasn’t good to begin with. If it worked the first time, leave it alone; if not, give it another go. Although, if more studios followed that philosophy, we’d have another Bio-Dome on our hands.
