My Pitch?
The idea behind this would essentially be the Idea that drew David Fincher into doing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. An adult R-Rated focused trilogy. With a comic book character like the Question, it’s a perfect template. Taking a Character like Vic Sage and putting him in a film Like Fincher’s Se7en would be inherently compelling, dynamic, and different from other comic book films. So the idea that would drive this would be to do a low budget R-Rated Film Trilogy with a beginning, middle, and end that all act like standalone stories with an overarching story telling us about the life of Vic Sage. There’s no doubt that even just 5 years ago the concept would be too foreign a concept, but with films like Todd Phillip’s Joker I can’t help but think this is the time to do The Question as a film, as well as do it differently then the standard DC superhero fair, as an R-Rated Emotionally Dark and Mature Thriller. This is my overall concept of how to do The Question as a trilogy.
The Question
Star Reporter Vic Sage is thrown into the murder investigation of a wealth family after the police discover clues that implicate his involvement. Vic masks up as The Question as he goes into an investigation that digs into his own past, revealing his family lineage and connection to Gotham City’s notorious Serial Killer Victor Zsasz, who aims to bring Vic into the “Salvation” Business. Vic will have to find a way to find and stop Zsasz before the carnage can engulf Hub City.
The Question: Cult
The Question returns, investigating copious amounts of missing persons disappearing from Hub City, Vic digs into a religious cult ran by a disgraced former Deacon: Joseph Blackfire. Vic’s investigation spirals out of control as he encounters religious fanatic in Anarky and the metahuman Psycho-Pirate as well as notorious Serial Killer Abbatoir serving Blackfire’s dangerous agenda to brainwash Hub City into his own Cult Utopia.
The Question: New Gods
A new drug has hit the streets called ‘Prayer.’ Vic begins investigating the link it has to Olympus International Founder Maximillian Zeus, diving into a rabbit hole that begins to exposes the CEO’s insanity while causing Vic to Question himself. Being exposed to a high and near-fatal dose leaves him cancer ridden, Vic will only have hours to expose Zeus and stop him from killing millions through his drug trade.
The Cast & Crew
Composer:A film score (also sometimes called film music, background music, or incidental music) is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score forms part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects, and comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental or choral pieces called cues which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to enhance the dramatic narrative and the emotional impact of the scene in question.
Trent Reznor [Notable Works: The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl]: With amazing Music under his belt in his composing career, he has the pedigree that would be sought for a smaller superhero project like this. His music is great and he could do a lot of unique and experimental work with The Question and it would be absolutely dynamic and dark the way it needs to be.
Screenwriter: A screenplay or script is a written work by screenwriters for a film, video game or television program. These screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated. A play for television is also known as a teleplay.
James Vanderbilt [Notable Works: Basic, Zodiac, Truth]: The Zodiac has become one of my favorite movies. He wrote an honest and detailed script that followed the events while adding a theatrical through-line that makes it a film. Seeing him take a property like the Question there’s no doubt he could make it a dark adult trilogy epic for comic book fans.
Director: A film director is a person who directs the making of a film. Generally, a film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, and visualizes the script while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, production design, and the creative aspects of filmmaking.
David Gordon Green [Notable Works: Undertow, Joe, Halloween {2018}]: He’s a great actor, he’s done amazing work with Dramas like Joe, and his latest entry into the Halloween franchise has really made him stand out. His work plays with work of a serial killer and seeing him do something that involves a more meticulous story and tone, he could create the comic book movie equivalent of Se7en.
Victor Charles Szasz/Vic Sage/The Question [Height: 6’ 2”, Age: 40’s]: Investigative Journalist who uses a vigilante disguise as the Question to further his journey into the truth. Often finding himself in either identity as the target of serial killers and mobster, he refuses to back down. He is the son of Jason Zsasz, late wealthy industrialist and Alice Johansonn, an illiterate Nanny forced into an affair with Jason.
Hugh Dancy [Height: 5’ 11”, Age: 44, Notable Works: King Arthur, Hannibal, The Path]: An amazing actor. His work as Will Graham was amazing and is absolutely worth putting him as The Question. Really there’s no one I could imagine take the role and do it perfectly. Dancy has done amazing work playing detective driven characters and for the Question to be brought to life his flaws have to come with and Hugh Dancy is the only one I can imagine making the flaws real and honest with his performance.
Myra Connelly [Height: 5’ 5”, Age: 30’s]: Reporter for the National Hub, often covering political advocacy. She once dated Vic and left him for the Mayor. She watches Vic closely believing him to be on a self destructive path.
Megan Boone [Height: 5’ 7”, Age: 36, Notable Works: About Cherry, Funny Games, The Blacklist]: A fun actress who’s done some great work and after the Blacklist has shown she can be a very prominent and interesting presence as a main character. Her work has shown she could be an interesting foil and ally to a character like Vic and would certainly be a great choice to bring Myra to life.
Isadore O’Toole [Height: 5’ 9”, Age: 60’s]: Former College Professor to Vic, he created the synthetic mask Vic wears as the Question and acts as a personal confidant for his former student. His terminal illness stands as something he hides, refusing to allow Vic to worry about him ‘while dealing with a train-wreck life.’
Dylan Baker [Height: 6’ 0”, Age: 59, Notable Works: Spider-Man 2, The Americans, Homeland]: Always fun to see. He’s a great actor and has done some amazing work. He’s played great dramatic characters and has done fantastic in his appearances. He could take the role and make it something very connected that works and could do a great Job as an ear for Vic to talk to.
Mayor Wesley Vermin [Height: 6’ 0”, Age: 50’s]: Mayor of Hub City, dealing with serious bouts of depression and addiction, leading to numerous claims about him being corrupt. He has a caring heart but a childhood of abuse and a lifetime of addiction leave him to be a much nastier person in private.
Patrick Fabian [Height: 6’ 0”, Age: 54, Notable Works: The Last Exorcism, Better Call Saul, Special]: He’s so fun to see on Better Call Saul. He’s given some pretty strong roles and has fun with what he’s given. He’s always a very strong actor and has given some consistent and great performances. He could take this role and do something very fun and deep with it.
Victor Zsasz/The Tallymark [Height: 6’ 2”, Age: 40’s]: Older half brother of Vic Sage, he murdered his parents when he turned 18 and after recklessly spending the family fortune he comes to a frightening Epiphany on the status of mankind. Upon learning of having an illegitimate Brother he devices a dangerous game, drawing the brother out of “hiding among the masses” and goes on a violent rampage in Hub City.
Mark Pellegrino [Height: 6’ 1”, Age: 54, Notable Works: The Big Lebowski, Lost, Supernatural]: He’s a great actor. He’s done some fantastic work and he’s really gained a cult following after his work in Supernatural. He’s got the look and the wildness to play a role as demented and energetic as Zsasz. There’s no doubt he could play the role perfectly and do much better then the character’s past and current future onscreen appearances.
Arnold Etchinson/Abattoir [Height: 6’ 1”, Age: 40’s]: A serial killer convinced that his victims were possessed by an Evil Force. He is taken in by Blackfire’s message of purity and joins him on his quest to Purify the world, as they take a victim at a time.
Steven Ogg [Height: 6’ 3”, Age: 45, Notable Works: He Never Died, Grand Theft Auto V, The Walking Dead]: Ogg is a fun and energetic actor. He was amazing in the Walking Dead mixing a sense of over-the-top evil and quiet serial killer-like intensity. He’s really fun to see onscreen and could actually have fun and put his energy into a role as wild as Abattoir.
Lonnie Machin/Anarky [Height: 5’ 8”, Age: Late Teens]: A teenager transferred from Gotham High after being shot by the Joker. The incident left him psychologically scarred. Finding himself slipping in an out of chaotic behaviour he is found by Deacon Blackfire who begins guiding his purpose in Anarky.
Charlie Heaton [Height: 5’ 8”, Age: 25, Notable Works: Stranger Things, Marrowbones, New Mutants]: Charlie is a strong actor and has shown he can do some pretty interesting things in his roles. Taking a role like Lonnie let’s him really act out and go crazier but in a darker and less campy way. He’s a great actor playing an outcast and a freak and this could really work with him and his strength as an actor while helping him dive into new avenues.
Roger Hayden/Psycho-Pirate [Height: 6’ 0”, Age: 30’s]: Able to manipulate the emotional actions of others, Roger became a supervillain attempting to steal and gain wealth. In prison he was visited by Deacon Joseph Blackfire who not only nurtured Roger’s abilities but assisted him in gaining control. Roger began to see the Deacon as a father figure.
Paul Dano [Height: 5’ 11”, Age: 35, Notable Works: There Will Be Blood, Looper, Prisoners]: A great actor who’s given some great and underrated performances. His work in There Will Be Blood is great, Prisoners has stood as his best work and he was fun for his small point in Looper. Giving him a more personally powerful and more active role would be a great change of pace and let him really develop himself as an actor. He’s a great actor and could actually be a perfect and unique Psycho-Pirate.
Deacon Joseph Blackfire [Height: 6’ 3”, Age: 60’s]: A former Deacon who was able to show many parishioners visions of Heaven or Hell, and began manipulating this ability to goad them into doing whatever he wants. He seeks to build a massive cult to take over the world a city at a time with his most trusted lieutenants: Abattoir, Anarky, and Psycho-Pirate who help him gain control of kidnapped citizens of Hub City, causing Vic Sage to get involved.
Brad Dourif [Height: 5’ 8”, Age: 69, Notable Works: Child’s Play, Deadwood, Cut Off]: In all honesty, as amazing an actor as Dourif is and the kind of character Blackfire is, there was nobody else. Dourif is a fantastic actor and a role like Blackfire could bring something new out of him as well as very much play the character from the comics.
Maximillian Zeus/Zeus [Height: 6’ 3”, Age: 40’s]: Head of Olympus International, and suffering from powerful Delusions that allow him to believe he’s the Olympic God. He begins pushing a new drug on the streets dubbed “Prayer” forcing more and more to come to him and worship him as a God. The Drug begins empowering the users with a strange Blue “Light” infecting their blood that begins to fatally sicken the users, Including Zeus.
Luke Evans [Height: 6’ 0”, Age: 40, Notable Works: Dracula Untold, Beauty and the Beast, Murder Mystery]: With a wonderful and bombastic performance as the self absorbed Gaston, as well as the dark performance behind his take on Dracula serve as a solid reason to put Evans in a role that allows him to explore an Over the top and Darker Natured character. Evans is a hell of an actor and the character needs someone to really serve the more outlandish aspects with a sense of honesty to make it work. Evans has the look, build, and talent to knock this out of the park.