Well folks, this here is one hell of a cool project if someone incredibly cool gets their hands on the reins of this film. We haven't had too many issues our of this series yet (It's based on a comic folks) but I've seen enough that I'm hooked. And I mean... how can you not be. It's a true geek's geek project. And I'll tell ya, it seems like it's been taking September's issue waaaaaay too long to get here. (Yeah, I know all about patience) but well... If they nail a script, the right budget and a fantastic atmospheric filmmaker... Well then, this is gold for me. Enjoy...
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN.
THE STORY:
It is the end of the 1800's. Queen Victoria is concerned that the new century will bring new threats to the British Empire. Weird, mystical, supernatural threats. She contacts a high ranked official in the Secret Service, Campion Bond (somebody's ancestor?) who elects a mysterious figure known as M to gather a group of special people. With ironic wryness, this League of Gentlemen is started with a woman, Wilhelmina Murray, a staunch advocate of woman's rights, a divorcee, and a wearer of strange scarves around her neck. We will learn that her married name is Harker and that she recently survived a horrible encounter with a certain Count. She travels to China, to an opium den, to enlist the old, beaten Allan Quatermain. Together they go to France, near the Rue Morgue, where a series of killings by an apelike creature are linked to one Henry Jekyll. Given the choice to join the League or go to prison, he joins. Back in London an Invisible Guy is causing havoc and then recruited- if they can keep tabs on him. Finally, off the coast of New Zealand aboard a huge ship sits a powerful man whose one regret is that, the adventures seem to be over and he is not yet God. When the group approaches him, not only does he join, but Nemo offers the Nautilus as base.
Back in London they rendezvous at the British Museum. What to do? Try to find that Greystoke baby missing in Africa? That mysterious Doctor who fled a dinner party babbling about time travel?
How about defusing that reactivated ship in Northern England that crashed after the War of the Worlds? But there is no time - someone is uniting the gangs of London, and has stolen anti-gravity metal developed by a Professor Cavor. If this is true, Engloand could be bombed from the sky. Is it Moriarty? Holmes died last year, but could the strange man M be Moriarty? It is up to the League to save London, and the world.
Status:
Based upon the comics by Alan Moore (WATCHMEN, FROM HELL) sold this one to Fox as an unpublished outline. Alex Ayers (MARLOWE, THE HELLFIRE CLUB) is currently drafting a screenplay for what should be a big franchise. Cool idea, what if all Victorian Literature actually took place.
On my way to see IRON GIANT, Professor Knowles.
