After a few years without a single update, Daniel Richtman recently reported that a live-action movie based on The Maxx is finally moving forward at Paramount Pictures, with Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street, Magic Mike) still attached to play the lead role.
Though things may have changed on this front, the trades originally reported that Tatum and Roy Lee had teamed-up to produce via Free Association, along with principals Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan, with Lee on board via his Vertigo Entertainment. The Maxx creator/writer Sam Kieth was also set to produce with partner Tal Vigderson.
Crystal Moselle (The Wolfpack, State Kitchen) is said to be attached to write and direct.
Now, Tatum has taken to Instagram to confirm his involvement in the project.
"Oh my god I’m so excited for this i can’t even explain," the actor captioned his post. "The Maxx!!!! This is a childhood love of mine. The truly brilliant genius creation of Sam Keith. When i was grounded and wasn’t aloud to watch tv this was the cartoon on mtvs oddities i would risk it all for. Sneak out of bed and put it on and pray i didn’t get caught. Even now after all this time it feels somehow still ahead of its time.
The characters in this… the Maxx, Julie Winters, and Mr. gone taught me things about life. Seeded complex ideas in my young mind that had a profound effect on how i viewed the world and the roles we play. That I only intellectually understood way later. I can’t wait to bring this to life and try and bring it to generations that miss it."
First hitting shelves in 1993, the Image Comics series ran for 35 issues before being collected in trade paperback by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. MTV would later commission a 13-episode animated series, which, while critically-acclaimed, was way too dark and bizarre for mainstream audiences.
The show has since done on to achieve cult status and was given a long-awaited DVD release a few years ago.
The story focuses on the titular masked, purple-skinned hero, who serves as a protector to the Jungle Queen in a mysterious realm known as The Outback. The characters also exist in the "real world," however, where Maxx is a vagrant ("a homeless man in a box") named Dave and his queen is a social worker named Julie Winters, who frequently bails him out of jail.
The villain of the piece is a serial rapist with a telepathic link to Julie named Mr. Gone, who has extensive knowledge of and access to other people's Outbacks. When Maxx attempts to stop him from harassing Julie, Gone enlists the aid of the Outback's main predators, the Isz, to take him out of the picture.
Sound a little strange? You have no idea!
Check out a teaser for the DVD release of the animated series below.
"Confused hulking homeless superhero The Maxx tries to protect his social worker and friend Julie from an omniscient serial killer Mr. Gone both in the real world, which may or may not actually be real, and the subconscious fantasy world."