Jamie Foxx confirmed for Spawn movie

Jamie Foxx is set to play comicbook anti-hero Spawn in the forthcoming big screen adaptation.

Foxx had been rumoured for the role last year, after news broke of the plans to bring the Todd McFarlane-created character to the movies.

But now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s official.

Foxx will play Al Simmons, a former black ops operative for the CIA who is betrayed and murdered, and whose soul is then sent to hell to atone for the innocent people he killed.

In exchange for his soul, a demon allows him to return to earth to see his wife once again, but he finds that the world has moved on, and he’s now a superpowered ‘Hellspawn’, and caught in a war between heaven and hell.

The comic series was a worldwide hit for McFarlane, the first issue selling nearly two million copies on its release in 1992.

Luminaries like Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman would later write stories in the series.

McFarlane will helm the movie as his directorial debut, telling THR: “I will be directing my first full-length feature, and I fully understand the need to surround myself with as much skill, talent and passion as possible.

“To now have an Academy Award-winning actor like Jamie Foxx, along with the dedication of Blumhouse Productions, will not only make my directing job that much easier, but, more importantly, will bring a level of quality and star power that most first-time directors could only foolishly dream of.”

Producer Jason Blum added: “[Foxx] is an incredible actor and a huge fan of the Spawn Universe that Todd McFarlane created. With the depth of talent Jamie can commit to the role and Todd at the helm bringing the world of Spawn to life, we could not be more excited for this film.”

The character has previously been brought to the big screen, in a 1997 adaptation starring Michael Jai White, John Leguizamo and Martin Sheen.

Sadly, it was panned by critics, and bombed at the box office, with a later sequel being shelved.

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