No, this isn’t the newest trailer in the universe, but it does make me salivate for Frank Miller’s next cinematic sake bomb. You can see traces of 300 and most definitely Sin City, but that shouldn’t surprise as both took Frank Miller’s graphic novels and manifested them directly into celluloid. In fact, you can’t even say the movies are based on the novels because most of the storyboarding was taken directly from frames in the comics. It’s more accurate to say they were metamorphosized from paper form to light. Strange then, that for Miller’s first foray into directing, he’s choosing someone else’s graphic novel to adapt instead of his own. More specifically, Will Eisner‘s comic Bible The Spirit.

More After the Page Flip

Technically, it’s not Miller’s first directing gig. That was Sin City, for which he was given co-Directing credit by Robert Rodriguez. Although RR’s resume is a bit patchy (Once Upon a Time In Mexico = Pure Garbage), he had the balls to quit the Director’s Guild cos they wouldn’t let Miller on the bill due to his inexperience. Dickheads. Well, Rodriguez had the balls to tell them to eff off, he quit the “Guild”, and in turn delivered one of 2005’s best and most lucrative films (grossing $160 mill worldwide). Fuck ’em. But that doesn’t really count as directing, cos say what you will about Rodriguez, they guy is battle tested. The Spirit will be Miller’s first lonesome directing gig, which could be troublesome.

Still, peep the trailer and you’ll see plenty to get excited about. It’s also pretty cool that Frank Miller chose one of his predecessors, the man credited with inventing the graphic novel, to bring to cinematic life. Perusing the old Spirit comics, you can definitely see where Miller gleaned his noir/pulp stylistics.

“I intend to be extremely faithful to the heart and soul of the material, but it won’t be nostalgic,” Miller is quoted as saying to Variety. “It will be much scarier than people expect.”

Set for January 16, 2009 release.

The Madman cannot wait…

The OG Spirit…

Eisner’s A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories, widely credited as the first graphic novel:

The new Spirit…

…which is stylistically not unlike Miller’s last flick…