Speaking with /Film at San Diego Comic-Con, comic book writer Mark Millar offers updates on three big screen adaptations of some of his work. He says that The Secret Service begins filming in a few weeks, and confirms the involvement of Colin Firth, Michael Caine and an unnamed "new young guy" in the Matthew Vaughn-directed spy thriller. Leonardo DiCaprio was previously rumored to be in talks for a role. The adaptation is slated for a November 14th, 2014 release, with 20th Century Fox distributing. Millar also discusses the planned Superior movie, the rights for which Vaughn purchased three years ago. Finally, he shares an optimistic update on the sequel to Wanted. For /Film's full interview with Millar and Kick-Ass 2 writer-director Jeff Wadlow, click the source link below.
On The Secret Service:
"So she and Mathew have done it. It’s all written now and they start shooting in five weeks or something. All the cast is done. Michael Caine is the head of this spy organization. Colin Firth is the senior guy and a new young guy coming in who’s [unintelligible]. So it’s My Fair Lady meets James Bond. It’s… I don’t know what Americans would call it, but a chav, the street kids, somebody who’s a kind of hoodie or something. It’s a scummy kid who’s being trained to be a British gentleman spy."
On Superior:
"And then there’s also Superior as well, it’s about a kid who has multiple sclerosis who gets a magic wish and his magic wish is to be his favorite big screen super hero, so that’s like a magic wish Spielberg-y adventure with a Richard Donner-y vibe to it. And the book came out about two years ago or something. Mathew got the rights about three years ago. Mathew, when he gets these deals is incredible. He’s like “I’ll have that one and that one” and the cash doesn’t come out until the movies…"
On Wanted 2:
"Wanted 2 seems to be back, which is interesting. They don’t like the original screenwriter, but there’s a screenplay that everybody likes, so fingers crossed and Timur is fantastic. He is such a great action director."