Saga Creator Thinks Movie or TV Show Possible ‘In 15 Years’

Fans of Brian K. Vaughn’s Saga who’re hoping for an adaption may have to keep wishing for quite awhile longer. Vaughn, whose Runaways comic has now been adapted into a Hulu series, doesn’t see his science fiction epic getting a similar treatment any time this decade. Despite the fact that Hollywood does seem to be catching up and taking notice of the prolific comic book writer, Vaughn still believes a Saga TV show or movie is 15 years away.

Brian K. Vaughn has long been one of the most respected and acclaimed comic book writers, but it wasn’t until recently that people have noticed his talents outside of the page. In addition to Runaways, which sees teens in the Marvel Universe discover their parents are secret super-villains, another of Vaughn’s comic series, Y: The Last Man is being developed into a show for network FX. Yet Saga, which is regarded to be one of Vaughn’s best stories, if not his greatest, has no development plans lined up just yet. However, Vaughn isn’t against the idea inherently.

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In an interview with THR, when asked if Saga could be adapted for the small or big-screen, Vaughn responded:

 You know, I still probably think not yet. But I wouldn’t have imagined what was possible with Runaways now being possible 15 years ago … so, maybe in 15 years we will have caught up. I still think for now, I flatter myself to think Fiona (Staples) and I are doing something that celebrates what only comics can do, which is the scope beyond a Hollywood blockbuster in terms of the visuals, but also a challenging grown-up story like you would get in a long-form TV drama. I think it’s still very difficult, with what we’re trying to say and do, for that to be done in film and television. I remain not completely opposed to it. But for me, it’s so not the goal. I would rather just keep my head down and keep making a great comic book, then get out there and chase a great adaptation.

It’s clear that Vaughn’s main concern in Saga adaption is that something would be lost in translation. Saga, for those who are unaware, is a space opera spanning multiple planets and creatures. While TV has been able to support something as costly Game of Thrones on HBO, Saga would likely be much, much more expensive. The story would also need a TV adaptation to do properly as it currently spans years of plot and is continuing to grow. It would be a huge undertaking to compress Saga into one, or even a series of movies. However, Vaughn does make a good point that technology could advance to a point where a Saga could become much more feasible and affordable in 15 years time.

Still, it might be best for Saga to stay completely on the page and not venture out in a live-action, or even animated, adaption. It seems like nearly every comic book property is being turned into a movie or TV show of some sort lately . While that can be incredibly exciting for fans, it can diminish comic books as a medium. It suggests that the source material is a stepping stone to the end goal of a more high-profile TV show or movie.

With Saga, the emphasis is where it should be, on the story itself, and because of that (maybe even more than financial and technological concerns) it’s a good idea that Vaugh isn’t considering an adaptation any time soon.

MORE: Tessa Thompson Wants to Star in a Saga Movie

Source: THR

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