Ski Weekend producer Miles Koules and his father, Saw franchise producer Oren Koules, have optioned the rights to produce a film adaptation of the Boom! Studios horror comic book Plunder through their company Koulest Productions. Ethan Teller (Jar of Fools) is already working on the screenplay adaptation.
Written by Jonathan “Swifty” Lang, the Plunder comic book begins with
a gang of Somali pirates after they face off with an illegal Chinese vessel. They then try to board what they think is a research ship, only to find themselves in the midst of a massacre, with their worst nightmares becoming reality around them. The 14-year-old boy who went from translator to reluctant pirate becomes their key to survival, but he must decide how far he’s willing to go in the name of self-preservation.
Deadline reports that SFX Artist Alec Gillis, who received Academy Award nominations for his work on Alien 3 and Starship Troopers, will be creating the creatures required for Plunder.
Teller provided the following statement:
Jonathan pitched me the plot of Plunder when we were introduced by a mutual friend at a Clipper game. I was immediately taken by both the concept and his sense of storytelling when describing the plot. He gave me vivid images of what the film could be and I knew that I was talking to someone with as deep a love of the genre as myself. Being able to contribute to making a feature adaptation of the comic book alongside Jonathan, Miles and Oren has been everything I could hope for.”
Miles Koules added:
Optioning Plunder has felt like a dream come true for me. Being a massive fan of Sci-fi/Fantasy stories is what made me want to be a producer in the first place. Working with such great people like Jonathan and Ethan on their vision which draws comparisons to a combination of Alien and Captain Phillips is incredibly inspiring for me. I feel lucky to be a part of what takes their idea to the big screen. Bringing in Award winning special effects wizard Alec Gillis, who redesigned the Predator for Dan Tractenberg’s Prey, worked on creating the Aliens from Aliens and Alien 3 and so much more, as our first step in development gives this project a whole new depth. This team has the makings of something really special and I can’t wait to take our next steps and see what the future holds for Plunder.”
And Plunder creator Lang had this to say:
Plunder was inspired initially by the rash of Somali piracy in the headlines, but as we dug into the origin it became a character study rooted in survival. While science fiction/horror is our vehicle for storytelling, and truly genres that we love and revisit frequently, the story would not work without being emotionally grounded. Miles and Oren Koules understood this from the jump and were instrumental in helping us make the characters even more universal. They’re the perfect partners to steer the story towards the big screen and we couldn’t be happier collaborating with them. It truly is a dream come true to share our nightmare with the world. The respect and passion that the Kouleses have for the source material is mind-boggling. Of course, this is a “pinch yourself” moment on a personal level, but it is greater than that. We have an opportunity to share our story on a global stage, and as a creator, you really can’t ask for anything more.”
I wasn’t aware of Plunder before this announcement, but the film adaptation sounds like a very promising project. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how this movie – and the creatures in it – are going to turn out. Are you interested in this one? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
