When it comes to superhero and comic book movies in general, Marvel and DC are the top two names most think of, seeing as how most of their recent films have brought in waves of cash at the box office and adoration from critics (looking at you, Black Panther and Joker). But those two companies aren't the only ones making movies based on their series. Dark Horse Comics has been doing so even before the likes of Marvel and DC, with hits like 1994's The Mask and 2004's Hellboy.
But unlike those two who have specific film production companies behind their projects, Dark Horse's library has been adapted by more than one studio, some of whom haven't always given these adaptations respect the way other studios have. For every The Mask, there's a Son of the Mask. For every Hellboy there's....2019's Hellboy. But just because a property fails once doesn't mean it's doomed in the world of film or television. In fact, there's plenty of Dark Horse properties that could work better now then they did before.
So let's look at Dark Horse Comics: 10 Screen Adaptations That Need a Reboot.
10 10. G-Men From Hell
Based on a story from Mike Allred's comic Grafik Muzik, G-Men follows two crooked FBI agents (or "g-men") who are murdered, sent to hell, and escape back to Earth with the help of a crystal. There they open a detective agency where they are hired to solve their own murders, along with getting mixed up with the plans of a mad scientist, a crazed superhero, and the Devil, who has come to take them back to Hell.
That's too many plots for a movie to cover, something which certainly didn't help the previous straight-to-DVD adaptation (along with its shoestring budget). Maybe an updated remake with a simplified plot (focusing just on the agents escaping from hell and clashing with the Devil) could make for a unique fantasy romp spiked with black humor.
9 9. Tank Girl
1995's adaptation of Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin's cult comic series bombed with both critics and audiences, but since then it has gained a cult following for its bizarre tone. Tank Girl as a comic has always been bizarre, but the film didn't quite nail it as well as on the page. A new adaptation (perhaps the one that Margot Robbie is producing) could better capture the surreal and snarky atmosphere of the series.
8 8. R.I.P.D.
Even though it had a promising central duo in the form of Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, R.I.P.D. failed to make much of an impact back in 2013. While conceptually too similar to Men in Black (only with police officers finding lost souls instead of aliens), there could be a way to switch up the property if it's ever adapted for film again or even for TV.
Perhaps giving the series a darker tone complete with more horror-based monsters and other threats could set it apart from similar films in the buddy cop genre.
7 7. Alien vs. Predator
This choice might be a long shot, seeing how both of the previous Alien vs. Predator movies were disasters and that separately both franchises haven't been doing so well recently critically speaking. But maybe another crossover in the right hands could make for the movie we've always wanted for these warring species.
The original Chris Warner miniseries, not to mention dozens of comic followups, could provide plenty of material for a film that takes place outside the continuity of both franchises.
6 6. Timecop
This pick might be controversial since the original film has quite the following, but seeing how both special effects technology and action scenes have come so far since 1994, maybe a reboot of Timecop wouldn't be such a bad idea, given it's done well of course.
The comic is actually quite different from the film, so maybe sticking closer to the comic could help a potential reboot stand on its own.
5 5. Flaming Carrot and the Mystery Men
Some of you are familiar with 1999’s Mystery Men, which started Ben Stiller and William H. Macy (among many others) as wannabe superheroes, and while it wasn’t received that well at the time, it has a dedicated cult following. What many don’t know is that the film is loosely based on a mostly unknown comic series, Flaming Carrot Comics, which had a masked anthropomorphic carrot as its star that served as a member of the Mystery Men featured in the film.
Much like The Tick, the Flaming Carrot Comics served as an over-the-top parody of superheroes, and seeing how we're in a golden age of superhero media, we could use more parodies of the genre. A new (preferably animated) adaptation of Flaming Carrot that's closer to the comics could be a great one in the right hands, and if some of the cast of Mystery Men want to reprise their roles in this film, even better.
4 4. Virus
Unsuccessful when released in 1999, Virus starred Donald Sutherland and Jamie Lee Curtis as members of a tugboat crew whose vessel is taken over by an alien species that wants to turn them all into cyborg slaves. Like with Timecop, special effects, not to mention the blending of sci-fi and horror are more noteworthy nowadays to the point that this property has more potential now then it did then.
3 3. Barb Wire
1996’s Barb Wire starring Pamela Anderson was torpedoed by critics, earning several Golden Raspberry Awards. The source material by Chris Warner however has its fans, and it would be cool to see the property done right, making its title character a strong, complex badass instead of the last movie’s objectified version.
2 2. Hellboy/B.P.R.D.
Last year’s Hellboy reboot starring David Harbour bombed at the box office and with critics, and we’re not sure what the future is for the red-skinned, peanut-smelling demon. While our fingers are crossed for Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro to come back and make the 3rd film in their trilogy, television could be the next best thing. Heck, Hellboy himself might not always be needed.
The organization Red and his friends work for, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) has more than enough stories to tell on its own from the comics, what with all sorts of monsters and extraterrestrials being dealt with. The right creative team could evoke either the subtly creepy atmosphere of Mike Mignola’s comics or the fantasy and charm similar to del Toro’s films.
1 1. The Mask
Probably the Dark Horse comic most of us want to see redone, The Mask has so much potential for a remake that stays closer to the dark and twisted nature of the comics. While Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson recently talked up a reboot starring a female comedian, we think television (with the right budget) might work better for the property.
An anthology series where the Mask gets a new host each season sounds intriguing, and there’s plenty of material to adapt if that’s the case. Even better, the right creative team could create new avenues for the story to go down. And Walter needs to be included somewhere in there.