If the studio sticks to the outline, it will be a very different sort of Spawn film, one in which the undead avenger hovers above the proceedings, but is rarely, if ever seen. As McFarlane put it, 'At no time, in my mind, will you ever see Spawn in his full regalia, standing in his cape and costume. You're not going to get that. I think the translation of the character may bug some people. But I'm more concerned about making the best movie possible.' Instead of Spawn the film will focus on Sam and Twitch, the two New York City police detectives, who have been a part of the Spawn saga since the first issue of the comic. The plot also includes a serial killer and elements of police corruption. 'Thematically, imagining a cross-pollination of Silence of the Lambs and LA Confidential will get you in the ballpark,' said McFarlane.
It's far too early to tell how fans will react to this subtler, more psychological approach, but it is clear that McFarlane wants to avoid making a special effects-laden superhero fightfest. Like Val Lewton (The Cat People), producer of classic horror films from the 1940s, McFarlane has figured out that what is unseen can be more terrifying and affecting than any realistic-looking, but reason-defying, computer-generated special effect. Said McFarlane, 'It's called Spawn, but it's really about people chasing shadows. It's a story about the people in Spawn's world, and you'll find that Spawn had an influence on these people's lives. It's not an action movie in the truest sense; it's more of a psychological thriller.'
