Disney Movie Snatched by Netflix

Netflix now has a comic book adaptation in the works that has been planned for over a decade. While this might not seem like a headline to grab, the film only became a Netflix original after being dropped by Disney. Last month, Blur Studios executive Tim Miller announced that Netflix had taken over his company's adaptation of The Goon, with the streamer looking to usher the project out of creative limbo. The series creator Eric Powell later provided more details online.

Miller announced that The Goon adaptation was finally getting back underway during San Diego Comic-Con, and soon more details were posted online. The Goon has a long and complicated history in the Hollywood studio system, and it seems to have been one of the victims of the Disney-Fox merger, getting lost in the cracks when the two behemoths came together. Miller provided the details to fans everywhere on The Goon Kickstarter page, which was launched way back when it was planned as a crowdfunded project.

The update confirms that the Disney/Fox merger was a huge stumbling block for The Goon, as for so many other projects in development. After it was lost in the shuffle, the movie was stagnant until recently. Blur Studios has an existing relationship with Netflix because it animates Love, Death + Robots, so it made sense that the company could pitch The Goon while they were at it.

The Goon is a genre-blending story that pits characters against supernatural monsters, aliens, extra-dimensional life forms and all kinds of other threats. Its titular character was orphaned at a young age and raised in a carnival, but ironically ran away from the carnival to join an organized crime gang. From there he found his way into all manner of dangerous situations. The comic was first published in 1995 in its earliest form, but it the serialized version most fans know really began in 1998. After a few self-published comics did well, Dark Horse Comics took on the project.

Creator Powell teamed up with Blur Studios back in 2008 and launched a Kickstarter to adapt The Goon into an animated movie. The project has amassed $441,900 in pledges from over 7,500 backers over the years, but eventually, it found corporate support as well.

There's no word yet on Netflix's plans for this adaptation, including the timetable for its creation and release. In the meantime, The Goon comics are available in print and digital format wherever comic books are sold.

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