Attack the Blockdirector Joe Cornish has now been tapped to helm an adaptation of comic book icon Mark Millar’sStarlightfor 20th Century Studios. Known for the likes ofWanted, theKingsmanfranchise andKick-Ass,Starlightis one of several adaptations of Millar’s work making the jump from ink to live action.
Debuting back in 2014,Starlightis a six-issue limited series from Image Comics, written byMark Millarwith art by Goran Parlov. The story centers on Duke McQueen who, forty years ago, was a space hero who saved the universe. But then he came back home, got married, had kids, and grew old, and no one believes his fantastical story. Now his children have left and his wife has died, leaving him alone with nothing except his memories…until a call comes from a distant world asking him back for his final and greatest adventure.
Joe Cornishdoes not have an extensive background in directing yet, but his two major releases, the sci-fi comedyAttack the Blockand the family adventureThe Kid Who Would Be Kinghave proven that he has a unique eye which should bode well forStarlight. Along with Joe Cornish who is on board to write and direct the project,Starlightis being produced by Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon under Kinberg’s Genre Films, along with Nira Park.
Like many of Millar’s stories,Starlightsounds ripe for a live action adaptation, which is something that Hollywood has now clearly noticed.Starlightis just one of many projects being adapted from Mark Millar’s back catalogue, with Netflix in particular planning to create aMillarworld franchise. The streaming giant has partnered with Millar to bring many of his lesser-known creations to life, includingAmerican Jesus, which follows a twelve-year-old boy who suddenly discovers he is the returned Jesus Christ,Huck, which follows a simple man in a small town who uses his special abilities to do a good deed each day, andSharkey the Bounty Hunter, which is set in a sci-fi universe and follows Sharkey, a blue-collar bounty-hunter, who tracks criminals across the galaxy in his converted, rocket-powered ice-cream truck.
First up though is thesuperhero series Jupiter’s Legacy, which follows the story of the world’s first superheroes. Receiving their powers in the 1930s, the story soon fast-forwards to the present day, with the heroes having become the revered elder guard. Their superpowered children though are struggling to live up to the legendary feats of their parents. Starring Josh Duhamel, Ben Daniels, Leslie Bibb, Elena Kampouris, Andrew Horton, Mike Wade and Matt Lanter,Jupiter’s Legacyis set to premiere on Netflix on June 14, 2025.
As for Joe Cornish, he could soon return to the world ofAttack the Block, with the director and actor John Boyega determined to see a sequel come to life on screen. “We’re working on it at the moment,” Cornish said recently. “John Boyega was round at my place a few weeks ago and we sat in the garden - socially distanced - talking about story ideas until it was so dark we couldn’t see each other. So, yeah, we’re working on that.” This comes to us courtesy ofDeadline.
