Marvel and DC, the world's largest comic publishers, have been making bank at the box office by bringing their super heroes to the big screen. Now the recently resurrected Valiant comics is looking to do the same with the news that an "Archer & Armstrong" film is officially happening.
The Hollywood Reporter has exclusive details on the news, reporting that the script has been finished by BenDavid Grabinski and that Valiant has partnered with the Sean Daniel Company, whose previous productions include "The Mummy" and the upcoming Ben Hur", to bring the globe-trotting adventure comedy to life.
For those unfamiliar, "Archer & Armstrong" is a buddy adventure comic detailing the various escapades of two unlikely allies. Obadiah Archer is a young, sheltered man, trained all his life in martial arts to fight "evil." That "evil" includes Armstrong, an immortal degenerate who has seen it all and can most often be found drinking at his favorite bar or getting in drunken fistfights. After an initial confrontation, together Archer and Armstrong team up in order to uncover various conspiracies, such as battling the "One Percent", a Wall Street secret society that wear bull masks.
Ain't It Cool News says the film script will very closely follow the above description, drawing primarily from the more recent take on the story by writer Fred Van Lente and artist Clayton Henry. The Eternal Warrior, Armstrong's also immortal brother and the star of his own comic series, is also said to make an appearance, possibly paving the way for an Eternal Warrior film.
"Archer & Armstrong" will actually be the third Valiant film to be underway, with the Sean Daniel Company also working on an adaptation of the supernatural warrior Shadowman. Another film based on the nanomachine infused experiment Bloodshot is being produced by Sony, working with Matthew Vaughn on a script by Jeff Wadlow.
"There's a reason comic fans have loved Archer & Armstrong and have treasured these characters and their legacy," Daniel says to The Hollywood Reporter, going on to say the comic series is "some of the funniest material you'll read in any format." He continued by saying he is "honored that Valiant would partner with us on this and Shadowman because they're the most unconventional of heroes, and it's that boldness that make us so excited to bring these characters to life."
Valiant Entertainment was originally founded by former Marvel editors in 1989 and published for several years before being sold to video game company Acclaim Entertainment, which went bankrupt in 2004. In 2005 Valiant was resurrected by entrepreneurs Dinesh Shamdasani and Jason Kothari, with formal Marvel CEO and vice chairman Peter Cuneo brought on board as a primary investor and chairman. In 2012 a new line of rebooted Valiant comics like "Archer & Armstrong" and "X-O Manowar" landed on comic shop shelves, and since then the company has continued to grow and find success. With an upcoming slew of films, you can bet on that success to continue.
