Director brings his new comic book to big screen

By Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Terminator 3" director Jonathan Mostow is developing a feature film adaptation of his sci-fi comic book series "The Megas", which hits stands Wednesday.

"The Megas", published by Virgin Comics, is set in a future society in which the American Revolution produced a monarchy, not a democracy, and consists of a culture of aristocracy and commoners, not to mention royal scandals.

The story is set in motion with the murder-suicide of a princely member of the Mega aristocracy and three prostitutes. Using the Bureau of Royal Investigation, the Megas try to cover up the incident, which could be explosive as the king lies on his deathbed. But don’t count on the agent assigned to the case, James Madison, doing the right thing.

Mostow co-wrote the book with television writer John Harrison ("Dune"). Peter Rubin, a conceptual artist at George Lucas’ effects house Industrial Light + Magic, is the illustrator.

Mostow said he had the idea swimming in his head for a while and was trying to figure out the best way to develop it. When Virgin Comics -- which specializes in working with directors to create comics that can be turned into movies -- approached him in the fall, he pitched his concept.

"I thought it had potential as a movie or a TV series, but I wanted to explore .....continued below

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The plan is to set up the property in the coming weeks, ideally before Mostow goes behind the cameras on his latest film, "The Surrogates", a Disney sci-fi thriller starring Bruce Willis. In addition to directing 2003’s "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines", Mostow also wrote and directed the 1997 thriller "Breakdown" and the 2000 submarine saga "U-571".

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter