Harbinger Heading to the Big Screen

Director Brett Ratner is currently negotiating with Paramount Pictures to direct one of his favorite comic book series from Valiant Comics called “Harbinger.” The series is being eyed as a live-action film project.

Paramount bought the rights to the comic and wants to turn the series into a franchise of motion pictures and Ratner wants the directing job. He also is set to produce the project(s) with Alexandra Milchan and Jay Stern for MTV Films.

“Harbinger” is the creation of comic book writer Jim Shooter, and tells the stories about human beings with special powers that are released by “omega” harbingers. Young Pete Stanchek finds himself on a collision course with an older “omega” who used his gifts to become an evil industrialist..

“The movie is in the vein of a young ‘Blade Runner,’ as this 17-year- old gifted kid helps other kids tap into these parts of their brains,” Milchan told Variety.

Ratner’s last mutant human feature was “X-Men: The Last Stand.” He has been a fan of the Valiant comic since it first debuted in the 1990’s and sees this as an opportunity for him to take a fairly new franchise and watch it grow from the ground up. “X-Men” has been around for years and wasn’t one that Ratner considered his own baby, but “Harbinger” could be that kind of project for him. Valiant Comics is excited about the prospect of one of their creations becoming the possible next big movie blockbuster and are pleased to have someone of Ratner’s caliber so interested in their product. Valiant has been a quick riser and contender to the throne(s) long held by giants in the industry like Marvel and DC Comics. Since seeing a new influx of money after the company filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy last year, Valiant Comics is again becoming a major player in the comic-to-movie industry.