“Sinatoro,” a forthcoming comic created by Grant Morrison, will be turned into a television series by Universal Television and filmmakers Chris and Paul Weitz.
The Hollywood Reporter got the scoop over the weekend at Comic-Con in San Diego. It reported:
Adam Armus and Kay Foster, co-creators of the NBC drama American Odyssey, are writing the TV script with Morrison, one of the preeminent comics writers who has penned defining works on Batman, Superman, X-Men and Animal Man, among others.
Sinatoro, based on the forthcoming Black Mask Studios comic by Morrison and artist Vanesa R. Del Rey, tells of a necronaut who is sent into the afterlife to save Earth from destruction. The story, a modern take on the Tibetan Book of the Dead, has influences from the Western genre, and classic U.S. Route 66 also figures into it.
Morrison’s “Sinatoro” has been floating around Hollywood for about six years. The basic artwork for “Sinatoro” (seen above) dates back to at least that long. Morrison’s screenplay, originally envisioned as a movie, was greenlighted in 2010. But it apparently was abandoned.
Still, a television series probably is the best venue for Morrison’s broad vision. It’s doubtful a two-hour film can cram in all his ideas.
Chris Weitz’s recent work includes co-writing “Cinderella” and the upcoming “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Paul Weitz co-created Amazon’s series “Mozart in the Jungle.”
Here’s a plot summary from IMDB:
Sinatoro, a man with no past and no memories, is the sole survivor of a car crash in the middle of a desolate American desert road. When he encounters the beautiful daughter of a cult leader, she convinces him to help defeat the forces of evil, which have overrun her town.
Based on the artwork and summary, the Route 66 cited likely takes place in Southern California’s Mojave Desert.
If “Sinatoro” sees the light of day, it may give another cultural touchstone for Route 66, like “Breaking Bad” did for Albuquerque.
(Image of a “Sinatoro” promotional image from 2014)