| Release Date: | TBA |
| Cast: | TBA |
| Director: | TBA |
| Screen Writer(s): | Danny and Oxide Pang |
| Official Site: | TBA |
| Trailers: | TBA |
| Status: | Script Stage |
| Synopsis/Plot: | The Darkness is the story of Mafia hitman Jackie Estacado, who receives a rather interesting present on his 21st birthday. Skirting the what-the-hell-do-you-get-a-mafia-hitman-for-his-birthday issue, we'll just say that he inherits a demonic suit of armour known as The Darkness. Given his line of work this is a handy asset indeed, especially considering that it not only grants him superior abilities but lets him manifest demons to do his bidding. Such things do come with a price though and the downside to this supernatural gift is that if Estacado ever again sleeps with a woman then his life is forfeit. |
| News and Rumors: |
December 2, 2005: Platinum Studios, an entertainment company that controls the world's largest independent library of comic book characters, and Blue Star Pictures have inked a deal with directors Danny and Oxide Pang to direct the upcoming feature film, The Darkness, based on the popular comic book published by Top Cow Productions, Inc. Platinum Studios will finance 50 percent of the production. Platinum, Blue Star and the Pang Brothers are jointly looking for a writer. Danny and Oxide Pang, twin brothers best known for their acclaimed action movie "Bangkok Dangerous" and the horror classic, "The Eye," recently finished another Blue Star feature, The Messengers, starring Dylan McDermott, John Corbett, and Penelope Ann Miller, for Mandate Pictures and Sony/Columbia. In The Darkness, mafia hitman Jackie Estacado discovers he is the heir to a formidable mystical force called the Darkness and he is the only one who can stop a supernatural power bent on enslaving humanity. "The Pang brothers' unique horror style suits this project very well," said Platinum Studios chairman, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. "This is an opportunity to develop one of Platinum's many horror-genre properties with two of the best horror-directors available." Platinum Studios will finance half of The Darkness, which is at Miramax with a progress to production clause through January 2006.
December 7, 2004: Platinum Studios, an entertainment company headed by producer Scott Mitchell Rosenberg that controls the world’s largest independent library of comic book characters, and Top Cow Productions, Inc., which with Image Comics is the nation’s No. 1 independent comic book publisher, announced a deal in which Dimension Films has acquired the exclusive rights to develop Top Cow’s “The Darkness” as a live-action feature film. “The Darkness” is the first film deal between Platinum Studios and Top Cow, following Platinum Studios’ acquisition of the film and television rights to Top Cow’s comic book library this past July. “I was hoping to celebrate closing the full paperwork of our Platinum/Top Cow deal by year end – I’m thrilled that, instead, the celebration is now about setting up such a high profile project this soon,” said Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Chairman of Platinum Studios. “The Top Cow library and Platinum Studios library compliment each other well, allowing us greater potential than ever before. “The Darkness” is just one of many franchises we plan to build together.”
“The Darkness”, created by Marc Silvestri , Garth Ennis and David Wohl , is one of today’s hottest comic book properties, with print sales topping $25 million. Its huge popularity has even prompted inter-company crossovers, the latest with “Superman” in a two-issue series shipping this month. “Both creatively and from a business standpoint, Platinum Studios is a great collaborator,” said Andrew Gumpert, Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at Dimension. “We went from story pitch to signing the documents in just a couple of business days.” “Platinum Studios has a unique way of developing that really works for us and is respectful to our creators,” said Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri. “The company found the feature film potential of “The Darkness,” while preserving the integrity of the comic’s characters and storyline.” Rosenberg and Silvestri have had a long-standing relationship that dates back to the formation of Silvestri’s company in 1992 when Silvestri and several other top comics artists left Marvel Comics to form the Image label at Rosenberg’s Malibu Comics. The Malibu/Image relationship produced the first independent comic book that topped the sales charts, making national headlines and stunning the business community. Rosenberg and Silvestri will be co-Executive Producers with Matt Hawkins. Aaron Severson, and Jay Burns as an Associate Producers for the project.
