In 1996, Randy Queen unleashed what was to become one of the most critically and financially successful comic properties of the decade: Darkchylde. It is the story of a cursed teen, Ariel Chylde, who can become the creatures from her many nightmares, and then must save her small town from the forces of darkness she has set free. For it's first nine-month run, the comic series outsold every other popular title including Spider-Man and Superman; Marvel and DC's respectively best selling comics at the time. Over the years, the series changed publishing houses several times. With the exception of a crossover with another of Queen's popular characters, Darkness, Darkchylde never returned to the top of the comics charts.
Now, after years of debate whether to turn the property into an animated series or big budget, studio film, Randy Queen, now the head of Darkchylde Entertainment, has decided to pursue the live-action route: but on his own terms. The comics author has allied himself with Richard Taylor, and the Academy Award Winning Weta Workshop, to create a small budget Darkchylde film that will both strictly adhere to the source material and please the character's cult following. Here is a message from Queen his fans:
"What we're showcasing..is hard won, self produced, test footage for a proposed 20-25 million budgeted Darkchylde film. We are the underdogs, so it's important to not expect Avatar or Iron Man footage, you know? We're giving a glimpse behind the curtain of a smaller, more intimate horror film we are cultivating, something on the scale of Carrie, but with a more impressive FX resource for Ariel's dreamscapes and the creatures she becomes."
"If I can draw it, we can shoot it, it's just a matter of getting the right people involved. I'm not interested in having someone give me a nickel to go away so they can reverse engineer something that doesn't need it. We've spent 8 years carefully cultivating this film project, and Weta's celebrated craftsmanship ensures a certain artistic integrity as a personal sentiment for horror fans. A lot of love has gone into creating the haunted world of Ariel Chylde. Most interesting is that every time she sheds her skin, a new creature emerges we've never seen before, so audiences never know what to expect. It's a terrific, market proven concept, and as a fright fan, I want to see the new ideas. I want to see fresh characters that could become as vital to this generation as Freddy, Jason and Michael were to mine, and at this budget level, well crafted horror shows terrific return. We've got the script. Darkchylde is ready to fly. We are actively seeking producing partners and independent financing."
WARNING: The following footage contains nudity and is approved for Mature Audiences only. Clicking Play confirms you are legally allowed to view mature rated footage in your country.
To view more conceptual art and stills of the project, visit Darkchylde.com by clicking on the image below: