It wasn't long ago that My Chemical Romance rocker Gerard Way told MTV News that he wasn't quite ready for a film adaptation of his comic book series "The Umbrella Academy." Now, it looks like Way has changed his mind -- or perhaps Hollywood didn't get the memo.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mark Bomback has been tapped to write the screenplay for "The Umbrella Academy" based on Way's Dark Horse comic book miniseries. The film is set up at Universal.
In the comic book series, the Umbrella Academy is a group of former superheroes who are reunited by the death of their adoptive father, Sir Reginald Hargreeves -- secretly an alien disguised as a wealthy entrepreneur. Upon Hargreeves' death, the heroes are joined once again to fulfill their father's plan to save the world.
"Umbrella Academy" achieved a surprising level of success in its 2007 debut, winning over fans, critics and awards alike -- including a highly prized Eisner Award. Way is currently working on a sequel to the miniseries.
While Way seemed an unlikely candidate for a critically successful comic book series, the newly announced screenwriter Mark Bomback has prior experience adapting the paneled page to the big screen. Bomback wrote the screenplay for "Constantine," based on the longstanding Vertigo series "Hellblazer." Apart from its name, the movie took some departures from the source material including changing the lead character's nationality and the story's setting.
In addition to "Constantine," Bomback penned the screenplay for "Race to Witch Mountain," which knocked Zack Snyder's adaptation of "Watchmen" out of first place in the box office during the superhero flick's second week in theaters. Between that and the altered take on "Hellblazer," Bomback might have his work cut out for him in winning over the comic book community.
Are you excited to see "Umbrella Academy" hit the fast track? Do you think Bomback will do a good job on the script? Let it rain in the comments!