Whoa! Taika Waititi Signs on for The Incal Movie

Wow, this is quite the news: Taiki Waititi has signed on to direct the film version of The Incal, the mind bending masterpiece by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius. As Waititi tweeted, his frequent collaborator Jermaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows)  and Peter Warren have also signed on for the adaptation.

I’m honoured to announce I’ll be bringing the maestro, the hero, the true creator, Alejandro Jodorowsky’s masterpiece THE INCAL to the big screen. Also stoked to be teaming up again with @jemaineclement and @peterbwarren on this. @alejodorowsky #Moebius https://t.co/a6rvCqV5jq pic.twitter.com/I8cbafw5hO

— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) November 4, 2021

Waititi recently wrapped Thor: Love and Thunder and is one of Hollywood’s most sought after (and quirkiest) filmmakers, so this is a big get for The Incal – and a big task for Waititi and crew as this is some of the most weird and spectacular comics material ever adapted for the screen.

The Incal is a trippy space opera about an intergalactic detective John Difool who gets involved with a magical MacGuffin called The Incal. With some of the French comics giant Moebius’s most iconic and influential art, it also spawned into a whole series of sequels called The Jodoverse, including The Metabarons and it’s attendant spin-offs. The Incal is published by Humanoids, and is cited as a huge influence on films like  Blade Runner, The Fifth Element and The Matrix.

According to THR, Humanoids is waiting for a script before getting a studio on board.

“We already have something very substantial, and it’s a complicated book. It’s vast,” Humanoids CEO Fabrice Giger told The Hollywood Reporter. “We love the way he approached it.”

“The goal is to give as much freedom as possible to our talent,” Humanoids Group COO Matthieu Coppet told THR.

Also according to THR, Waititi sought the blessing of the 92-year-old Jodorowsky over Zoom.

“The films and graphic novels of Alejandro Jodorowsky have influenced me and so many others for so long. I was stunned to be given the opportunity to bring his iconic characters to life and I am grateful to Alejandro, Fabrice and everyone at Humanoids for trusting me to do so,” said Waititi in a statement.

Added Jodorowsky in his own statement: “When Humanoids’ CEO Fabrice Giger introduced me to Taika Waititi’s work, it became obvious to me that he was the one. I fully trust Taika’s creativity to give The Incal a stunning take, intimate and at the same time of cosmic proportions.”

Humanoids will produce along with David Jourdan’s Primer Entertainment, which acquired a stake in the publisher in 2019.

Some more Moebius goodness:

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