Jenna Dewan had wanted to do an action movie for three or four years. Then Top Cow sent her their supernatural-themed comic book
Magdalena.
"And I read the comic," she said at Top Cow's standing room-only Comic-Con International panel on Saturday, July 26th. "And I called my manager that night and I said, 'I have to do this movie.'"
In the comics, the holy lineage of the Magdalena is descended from the daughter of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. This royal bloodline passes great power to each Magdelena, who serves as the warrior and protector of the Catholic Church.
Top Cow CEO
Marc Silvestri said that Dewan, who is to star as Patience, the current Magdalena, will do justice to this female-centric action flick. The eager starlet showed Silvestri her fighting skills at a Maxim party and convinced him that she's going "to kick some ass."
Dewan, a former dancer who starred in
Step Up, also said she plans to do all her own stunts "unless it's going to kill me or they won't let me."
Producer
Gale Anne Hurd (
The Incredible Hulk), who joined Dewan and co-star
Luke Goss (
Hellboy II: The Golden Army) on the panel, agreed with Silvestri, but for a different reason. "I have to tell you that Jenna has learned more than all of you about Patience."
Goss said he likes playing characters who are tortured, and he got a doozy in Kristof, an agent sent by the guardians of the Magdalena lineage. "He's a knight of the order, captain of the order, and he has an inner conflict with his duty."
Herd praised Dewan and Goss, Top Cow, and
Scott Rosenberg's Platinum Studios, who will be co-producing the project. "We are so lucky to have these great actors attached to the project, and it's so great to be working with both Top Cow and Platinum."
However, Herd was unsatisfied with attendee response to the project. "If you guys really want us back to show you footage when we have some, we need a much bigger applause."
The applause got much bigger.
[Original Continuum report by ROB ALLSTETTER. Thanks to CBR News's DAVID MORAN.]