David Lowery, the filmmaker before Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, will write and direct a feature film based on Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko’s critically-acclaimed graphic novel Torso.The film will be produced by Circle of Confusion, who produce AMC’s The Walking Dead, accordin to The Hollywood Reporter. Bendis and Andreyko will also be producers, as will David and Toby Halbrooks of Sailor Bear, Lowery’s production company.”It’s a cool true story that very little people know of,” said Bendis of the story. “You think you know the story of Elliot Ness? You don’t. You know the story of serial killers? You don’t. And that’s how I kept the faith.”The graphic novel takes place in Cleveland, years after Ness had become a folk hero, at a time when his hunt for the man behind a bizarre series of murders becomes a millstone around his neck.Torso was one of the first major successes for Bendis, who of course is one of the top-selling writers in the American comics industry. Andreyko, too, cut his teeth on the book before going on to become one of the most critically-acclaimed writers of the 2000s, with titles like Manhunter earning him a favored spot in critics’ and readers’ hearts. He’s also worked on Superman, Captain America and True Blood projects.A previous version of the film was set to go in front of the cameras about ten years ago from director David Fincher, coming off a similar hit with Zodiac, but budgetary and stylistic differences with Paramount, the studio who was set to fund the project, killed it and the rights reverted back to Bendis and Andreyko.
