Sylvain White on Frank Miller's Ronin... in 3D?

News

Sylvain White on Frank Miller's Ronin... in 3D?

Source:Silas Lesnick

September 14, 2009

Currently braving the tropical heat of San Juan for his adaptation of the DC/Vertigo title, The Losers, Stomp the Yard director Sylvain White is already keen on his next project: Frank Miller's Ronin.

"It's still being developed," an eager White told SuperHeroHype.com, "I just got a new draft a week ago. It's looking really good and promising. I hope it gets to go... [Mine is] a big-budget, big blockbuster take on it. I'd love to do it in 3D. I think it'd be ridiculous and amazing."

The comic book, released in 1983 and 1984 by DC Comics, blends feudal Japan with a darkly futuristic, cyberpunk New York city, telling the story of a reincarnated Ronin and his final showdown with the soul of the man who killed his master.

"I think it'd make a brilliant video game as well," says White, "something along the lines of 'Assassin's Creed' but from a first-person perspective. I think it's just a great property and a great concept. It's got so many ideas in it in terms of commentary and philosophy. Frank Miller is a genius when it comes to that. It took so long because the source material is so complex. It's very difficult, and it's not linear, and it doesn't really fit into a film format off the bat. It's not a straight adaptation like '300' was or even 'Watchmen.' It's not as simple. Zack [Snyder]'s going to kill me. [Laughs] But I think with 'Ronin' we need a little bit of streamlining, otherwise it's too esoteric. You need a little bit of streamlining, but the story and the characters, if I get to do that movie, will all be there. I'm the guy who wants to respect the authors and the source material as a fan of graphic novels who grew up reading them whether it be in Europe or here. It's something that needs to be done right, and it hasn't really been done right."

White also claims that he's not worried about becoming pigeonholed as a comic book director because of the great differences between properties like The Losers and Ronin and that his takes on each are wildly divergent.

"The fortunate thing is that 'Ronin' is some Frank's earlier work," says White, "What's great and what for me works in the graphic novel, aesthetically-speaking, is the design of Aquarius... the design of New York. So I would pay homage to him more in the production design versus the actual frames. The frames in 'Ronin' are some beautiful frames, and some I would go with, but what's beautiful to me about 'Ronin' is the production design and the character design and the colors that are used. I think framing – you can frame things with much more depth and beauty on film than you can in a graphic. Replicating frames... that's a different language. You want to always stay true to the graphic novel, but you're watching a different medium. You never want to remind the audience that they're watching a graphic novel or [an adaptation of] a graphic novel source. You just want them to watch a great movie. And if they know it's based on a graphic novel, awesome. And if you make the fans happy because you paid good tribute to the source material, awesome. I don't think you make fans happy by just replicating frames. What they want to see is that you stayed true to the story, true to the characters and true to the design."

The Losers is slated for release on April 9, 2010.

33 comments

Add a comment

Related Articles From Other Sites

Comments

Posted by: Triad on September 14, 2009 at 00:13:10

Sounds cool...Hope he does it justice. It could rock in 3-D!

Posted by: John Fonseca on September 14, 2009 at 00:20:07

Let's see about it??

Posted by: Grey on September 14, 2009 at 00:34:30

I read Ronin back in the late 80's, but it never really dawned on me that Samurai Jack was basically the same plot.

Posted by: mojojackson on September 14, 2009 at 00:46:40

I like this idea. I'm always in favor of adapting Frank Miller's work. The man is a legend for a reason. Sounds lke the visuals would be important enough to the style of the storytelling to justify 3D, as well, unlike Iron Man 2.

Posted by: Vork on September 14, 2009 at 01:16:07

Sorry to differ but Marvel has great stories as well. How can you have great characters without great stories? That doesn't really make any sense. DC has great stuff don't get me wrong, I just think its invalid to say that Marvel doesn't have any good stories. Phoenix Saga ring any bells, or maybe Demon in a Bottle, Secret Wars? All are great stories. Marvel just made a mistake in letting Fox get their stupid hands on their stuff. Coming as a Batman fan i have to be honest and say that TDK was not very true to the source material. Seriously, the Joker was simply a crazy guy in make-up, thats not the Joker. Sorry.

Posted by: Dark Victory on September 14, 2009 at 02:51:07

the last thing I'd want is the director of "Stomp the Yard" to touch Ronin.

Posted by: Abin Sur of Ungara on September 14, 2009 at 03:06:54

Ronin is too great to be touched in my opinion and would be too censored unless touched by some one willing to go as far as Zack Synder and Robert Rodriguez

Posted by: Film Ninja on September 14, 2009 at 09:16:12

Frank Miller sucks so who ****ing cares?

Posted by: Phire on September 14, 2009 at 09:30:53

Read this arctile closely, he basically talks long enough to contradict everything he says. Also - Stomp the Yard? wtf? and how the hell is Akiva Goldman getting back in to the comic book game? Suddenly he's attached to every new comic book movie being made in the next four years...

Posted by: Lobo on September 14, 2009 at 09:33:22

Frank created great works in his past, that should not be forgotten. Everything I've heard about The Losers are going to make a lot of people change their views on White as a director.

He has passion, and an understanding of how to adapt while staying true to the source material. I look forward to seeing what he does with Ronin

Posted by: 90sMarvelRuled on September 14, 2009 at 10:10:40

@senorashish

Marvel didn't do anything in the 90s? What weed were you smoking..and look how quickly you disregarded the X-Books
X-tinction Agenda
Phalanx Covenant
Onslaught
Age of Apocalypse!!!
Operation Zero Tolerance
The Twelve
these were ALL MAJOR events that all happened in the 90s. They were great great stories (especially AoA).

Marvel brings the heat with their stories AND art..at the same time. A great story complimented by great art, something that DC, until recently, always struggled to do...who will read a seemingly great story is the art is unbearable?

Posted by: legendkiller07 on September 14, 2009 at 10:44:00

DC is on a roll?

LOL Marvel has been kicking DC's butt these past few years in comics and movies.

DC has for years now just copied everything Marvel has done.

Yeah DC may have better stories but Marvel has shown that they take care of there characters better then DC.

Not only that but Marvel knows how to get there act together.

Like seeing Tony Starks in a Hulk movie and more.

Let's look at all the successful movies both have had over the years:

Marvel:
Spiderman 1 and 2
X-Men 1 and 2
Wolverine Origin which was good and has a sequel coming out regardless of what people say
Blade 1 and 2
Incredible Hulk
Ironman
Daredevil which did good at the box office.
Fantastic Four 1 and 2 which did very well at the box office too.

DC:
Batman Begins
The Dark Knight

DC only has one character in good god who knows how many years that was successful. Watchmen did not do good at the box office so don't even mention it.

Like I said Marvel knows how to take better care of there characters and thats why fans prefer Marvel most of the time.

Posted by: Donnie Darko on September 14, 2009 at 11:13:33

I have to disagree with the statement that Marvel doesn't have great stories, just great characters. However, I do agree that it would be easier to adapt certain DC stories to film instead of Marvel, because lots of the great Marvel stories are huge crossovers or involve way too many characters. There are exceptions, of course, like many Daredevil stories would be perfect.

Posted by: ben on September 14, 2009 at 11:24:50

o man, Stomp the Yard director Sylvain White? this has to be good! i mean, stomp the yard, come on you guys.

Posted by: Thekid on September 14, 2009 at 11:41:31

legendkiller07, just because a movie makes money at the box office doesn't mean its good. half of those movies you listed for marvel are crap.

Posted by: Old Gregg on September 14, 2009 at 12:03:01

@ legendkiller07

DC also had a little movie come out in the late 70's called Superman and then it had 3 sequels. Then there was a movie called V for Vendetta that opened first the weekend it was released. Oh, and a little movie called 300 came out after that. I think you might be a little biased.

I don't care if it's Marvel or DC, I am just happy that comic books are getting the attention they deserve!

Posted by: Rodrigo on September 14, 2009 at 12:03:59

Mark Millar on his Superman trilogy. They are all full of SHlT. They say all these things and nowt materialises. GET YOUR MOUTH AWAY FROM THE MICROPHONE AND GET YOUR EYE BEHIND THE CAMERA.

Posted by: Klutch on September 14, 2009 at 12:57:47

As long as they get Miller far away from a camera i'm cool !

Aw by the way, we don't give a rat ass with your so-called pointless and retarded DC/Marvel rivalry, you are the pricks that gives geeks a bad name !

Posted by: aaron brooks on September 14, 2009 at 13:45:59

Sounds like AFRO SAMURAI if you ask me!

Posted by: Ben Perkins on September 14, 2009 at 13:50:20

@Legendkiller.

If you have to follow any 'good movie' list with "but it did well at the box office", then such justification negates your argument pretty quickly.

I think if he follow through on his mantra of making a good cohesive film that is true to the source material then it'll work out. It'll be watered down, but, it's the nature of adapting. There's ALOT of ideas and themes in the book. I expect some subplots, like the husband, to go.

Posted by: george on September 14, 2009 at 16:53:30

I'm sorry I just can't get excited about this. White claiming to be the "guy who wants to respect the authors and the source material"....... REALLY?

that's why White's adaptation of Castlevania featured a guy with a SWORD and NO WHIP? it featured Dracula, and Drac's love story???? and NO SUPPORTING Boss level monsters???? No Frankenstein's monster? No Mummy? What the hell. That's not Castlevania. And it's far from respecting the source material.

And now this claim that to respect the source material and the original author's work? Pul-lease.

Frank Miller if you're listening - be scared - be very scared.

Plus - Mr Miller - what happened to your claim that from this point on with the exception of Sin City 2 - all your movies would be directed by you??? Seems Mr Miller forgot his vow to maintain the integrity of his own books.

Posted by: senorashish on September 14, 2009 at 21:28:36

@ george

I don't know why Superherohype deleted my previous posts. There was nothing wrong with them, I just gave my opinion like the other posts here. Anyways...

Frank Miller shouldn't be scared, it's you who should be scared of Frank Miller. I mean, after the debacle of "The Spirit," can you imagine Miller directing another film based on a comic book property, let alone his own? Sure, you can argue that he directed "Sin City." But realistically, all he did was sit in the chair next to Robert Rodriguez and observed what he did.

Posted by: DatSuperHero on September 15, 2009 at 01:05:43

ronin? wasnt that with deniro?

Posted by: Nave Hayder (TORMENT) on September 17, 2009 at 15:27:08

That has got to be one of the best answers for a future adaptation movie I ever heard. Good going on frames. Make it original. That's what made TDK so brilliant (and different). The frame-by-panel adaptations have their own world. But any good comic book, once turned to film, should have a keen sense of visuals. Zack and Rodriguez both understood that. So did the Watchowski brothers. I still think Frank Miller should be involved in his own projects, but seriously, what he needs to do is reboot Elektra. Dark Knight Returns should be turned into a movie after another few years. Oh and Sin City 2!!! Where the hell is Angelina in that red wear (or lack of) anyway?!

Posted by: CocoaBeachFalcon on September 18, 2009 at 08:39:24

I rarely say this, but Ronin was such a work of art I just can't see how this is adaptable to the big screen. Maybe they will prove me wrong; but somehow I doubt it.

« Previous Page

Page 1 of 2

Total: 33 comments

Jump to page: 1 2

Add a Comment