Director-Writer Frank Miller on the set of his film THE SPIRIT. (Lewis Jacobs)
SAN DIEGO — Fans in a packed-to-capacity Hall H at Comic-Con International were given a first look at three scenes from the upcoming “The Spirit.” A new, longer trailer was also shown for the first time.
Director Frank Miller and several others connected with the film were on hand as more about the Will Eisner adaptation was revealed. Miller described his longtime relationship with Eisner, who created the Spirit.
“Will and I never stopped debating the nature of comic books and how they work,” said Miller, who first came to prominence in the early 1980s as the writer-artist of the comic book “Daredevil.” Miller later wrote and drew “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns,” “Sin City” and “300.” He moved to film work on the movie adaptation of “Sin City,” where he was a co-director with Robert Rodriguez. “The Spirit” is Miller’s first work as a solo director.
Miller said he debated “for about three seconds” before accepting “The Spirit,” which has put many of his other creative endeavors on hold.
“I realized if I didn’t do it, someone else would do it,” he said.
Though it’s held up other graphic novel projects, Miller said “The Spirit” has been very rewarding for him.
“I’ve had moments of creative euphoria that I’ve not had before,” he said.
The scenes shown explore The Spirit (Gabriel Macht), his relationship with Ellen Dolan (Sarah Paulson) and his battle with the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson). There’s also a scene featuring Sand Saref (Eva Mendes) underwater, in what Miller described as a new technique — the filmmakers shot the scene without using water.
– Matt Price
