Chris Weitz director of the upcoming "New Moon" from the Twilight Saga had made a draft for a movie based on Liefeld's Image character, Badrock. Liefeld describes the screenplay as a "Beavis/Butthead/South Park take on a kid superhero." New line had issues with the initial budget which led to their letting go of the project.
MTV had an interview with Liefeld about the un-filmed project. Here are the points he made:
a.] New Line optioned the film, they like the story of a messed up kid, experimented by his father which in turn transformed the kid to an indestructible boy of stone. They were projecting the film in the vein of the Mask which way back then was very succesful.
b.] Liefeld told in the report that he was able to meet Chris Weitz, and they talked about the comics, particularly the story of Badrock's tranformation and the government taking him into custody.
c.] Badrock was a member of the superhero group Youngblood in the comics, but Youngblood did not appear in the proposed film.
d.] Blackrock was the main villain, he has an amped up version of the superserum experiment that gone to Badrock.
e.] "Beavis/Butthead scenes" Badrock superfarts that knocks out kids unconcious at a concert. and in the same concert stage-dives which nearlu kills the kids in the mosh pit.
f.] The initial projected cost was $75 million, but New Line wanted it down to $55 Million. This is main due to the character being CGI, as well as the envisioned climactic battle that has Badrock and Blackrock tearing down LA.
g.] The climactic battle would be similar to the Incredible Hulk's fight with the Abomination.
h.] The budget for the script was scaled down but when New Line's "Lost in Space" did not pull in big numbers they have to let go of the "Badrock" project.
i.] Liefeld plans to adapt the screenplay adaptation of Weitz into a comic book : "Badrock: The Comic Book Adaptation Of The Movie That Never Was."
I'll watch it if it ever gets made. I'm just not sure if I'll enjoy it.
-access out. Godspeed!