The Spirit: The complete file of the film - posters, interviews, photos and 3 trailers

The Spirit, the next film by Frank Miller, took the poster in Quebec and North America on 25 December 2008 and in France on December 31.

The film features Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Dan Lauria, Stana Katic, Johnny Simmons, Louis Lombardi, King Jamie, Paz Vega.

Here is a complete record, including all the secrets of the production, interviews of the team, 8 posters, all the photos and 3 trailers.

You can also read our review of the film.

Denny Colt, a former cop, returns mysteriously from the dead.

It is now the Spirit, fighting crime in the dark streets of Central City.

His arch enemy, Octopus, has a different purpose: in his mad quest for immortality, he will destroy the city.

Across the city, the Spirit chasing the killer.

On his way, the hero crosses masked women, all beautiful, that seek to seduce him, love him or kill him ...

Only his love of still do not betray: Central City, the city of his birth ... twice.

The Spirit brings together the work of two visionaries: Frank Miller, director of 300 and Sin City, and Will Eisner, a pioneer of the comic modern American, which published The Spirit in 1940.

Frank Miller said he discovered the work of Will Eisner when he was only 13 years old: "I thought it was a brand new artist. His work is dated around 40 years but I've never seen anything as innovative and refreshing! "

Will Eisner was barely 20 years old when he published The Spirit, as a weekly insert.

His comic détonait in the midst of all those telling the story of superheroes saving the world. The Spirit, wearing a suit, wearing a tie, gloves and a hat Fedora, is not a millionaire, or an alien and has no power. He is a former cop, Denny Colt, that everyone thinks death. The Spirit is a character that is intended for adults, which has a caustic sense of humor, which does not hesitate to dredge the girls and dedicated to his city, Central City, unconditional love. Will Eisner was also committed to giving its comic a film whose angles and perspective are reminiscent of Citizen Kane.

Frank Miller and Will Eisner met for the first time at a party in New York. The director remembers: "I was in the process of writing and drawing one of my first adventures of Daredevil for Marvel Comics. Will threw a glance at the first page, and I was immediately told what was wrong. We began to discuss the use of captions under the illustrations, and this was the beginning of a conversation about the art of creating comics, which lasted twenty-five years! We were great friends, very close. I learned a lot from him. "

Producers Deborah Del Prete and Michael E. Uslan are both big fans of comics.

In 1992, Uslan, who had already produced by Tim Burton Batman (1989), has acquired the rights T he Spirit. During his meeting with Will Eisner, Michael E. Uslan has made a very simple promise: "Will I swore that no one would receive at The Spirit without being willing to respect the spirit of the comics."

10 years later, the actor Dan Lauria presented Deborah Del Prete Michael E. Uslan. The two began to discuss the possibility of a film adaptation of The Spirit, but things are still there. It was not until 2004 that they finally decided to tackle the task.

The name of Frank Miller already circulated as director of this project. In many ways, Miller is the spiritual heir of Eisner and Del Prete wanted to collaborate with the film. On the death of Will Eisner in January 2005, Michael E. Uslan that the task of formally approached Frank Miller. As a first step, the director refused, unable to touch the work of his mentor and friend. But shortly after, he recalled the two producers, telling them: "I can not let anyone else touch it."

As highlighted Deborah Del Prete: "On one side you have Will Eisner, one of the creators of modern comics and the other, Frank Miller, his protégé, his colleague and friend. It was a miracle! "

Frank Miller was surrounded by the works of Will Eisner as soon as it began work on writing the screenplay. "I think like a novelist, like a Raymond Chandler, because this kind of story that I wanted to write," says writer and director. "But I discovered that Chandler was the worst references that Will Eisner was much like O. Henry to the extent that he wrote short stories, very short, some of which are very beautiful. I decided to choose my favorite, a two parts Sand Saref, and develop a story from that point. "

Jewel thief, Sand Saref is one of many very sexy female characters created by Will Eisner in The Spirit. Other seductresses who have found their place in history developed by Frank Miller, there are Ellen Dolan, daughter of the Commissioner of Central City, the exotic singer Plaster of Paris, the icy Silken Floss and the angel of death Lorelei. "I tried to capture what was understood in the work of Will Eisner. The Spirit is a seducer, but the love of his life is Central City. It's soul mate. "

"The Spirit knows he is a cop who was shot and mysteriously returned to life, but he has no idea how this took place," says Frank Miller. "It is not a superhero. It can not fly, he can not lift cars. But he has a special quality: it can heal faster than anyone. So he tries to discover who he really is. "

Frank Miller has decided that the answer to this problem to The Octopus, the villain imagined by Will Eisner. In the comic, this character is represented only by white gloves. Miller decided to show the character in its entirety, to reinvent and make him a doctor who finances his twisted genetic experiments by the sale of drugs.

As in the purest tradition of the comic, The Octopus is the opposite of the spirit. "The Spirit gives the order, The Octopus chaos. The Spirit wants to help people, The Octopus wants to reduce them to slavery, "said Miller, who adds:" It is absolutely crazy! "

If Will Eisner wrote the comic and made a hero The Spirit very contemporary, Miller has added his own touch by incorporating elements from different periods. Thus, The Spirit takes place in a world where women were beautifully dressed, where men wear suits and hats and taxis are elegant sedans of the 1950s. But it is also a world of cell phones, flak jackets and cloning. The action is very 'twenty-first century', and irreverent humor of Will Eisner was retained, Frank Miller adding his dose of cynicism and bite.

While many films from comics feature a star, the producers of The Spirit took a radically different approach. As highlighted Deborah Del Prete, "We wanted The Spirit is the Spirit that in the public mind."

This is the voice of Gabriel Macht, as well as its interpretation very low-key, who immediately convinced the production team at the hearings. "It is not the great players who fail to Hollywood, but Gabriel has a physical presence, humor to the Chandler and virility absent from the big screen at the moment. He is The Spirit of a hero in the tradition of film noir, "says Frank Miller. Gabriel Macht explains: "In studying the comic by Will Eisner, I was able to absorb the physical The Spirit, the way he moves his head, he watches someone, which he wears his hat or of which he moves his shoulders. The Spirit can do incredible things and physical strength is quite surprising. On the other hand, it is a clumsy boy. This is part of its charm. "

The prospect of working with Miller has attracted an impressive number of actors, including Samuel L. Jackson, who plays The Octopus. When Frank Miller has decided to make this character a being of flesh and blood, he thought about the actor. "Sam was my first and only choice for the role" says director and screenwriter. Jackson, a fan of comics, did not need to be convinced. "I am an admirer of Frank Miller from The Dark Knight and Sin City. The fact that Frank wanted me to be The Octopus is a source of pride for me, "said Jackson.

Silken Floss, the aide de camp and protection of The Octopus, is embodied by Scarlett Johansson. It was after he met the actress that Frank Miller has decided to rewrite the character and present a much younger than the character created by Will Eisner. "After our meeting, I thought it was not what I wanted for the role, she was too young. But at the same time, I had to write something for Scarlett Johansson. I was so impressed by this woman, by his intelligence, his humor and his cynicism. Eisner has made an astrophysicist Silken frigid, who is in love with The Spirit. I decided to make someone who spoils his youth, "says Frank Miller. As for Scarlett Johansson, she explains: "Silken is very, very smart but bored. It is there for fun. The Octopus It helps to manage the sale of drugs and wear cool clothes. Nothing is real for her, this is probably because she spends her time to tap into the stock of drugs. It is a strange phase of his life and who knows what will happen next? "

Eva Mendes has been chosen to interpret the character of Sand Saref, the only woman capable of breaking the heart of The Spirit. Miller admits to have found in Mendes' an actress and as beautiful as this as heroin created by Will Eisner. "And, as the actress says:" Basically, Sand Saref is a little girl shattered by life. It decided that the only things that it can count the jewelry prices. She likes shiny things, as she calls them. "

PHOTOS: © 2008 Lionsgate / Odd Lot Entertainment - All rights reserved - Published with permission of the author.

(Click to enlarge)

PHOTOS: © 2008 Lionsgate / Odd Lot Entertainment - All rights reserved - Published with permission of the author.

(Click to enlarge)

PHOTOS: Lionsgate © 2008 - All rights reserved - Published with permission of the author.

(Click to enlarge)

The Spirit

Released: 25 December 2008 in Quebec and North America - 31 December 2008 in France

Cast: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Dan Lauria, Stana Katic, Johnny Simmons, Louis Lombardi, Jamie King, Paz Vega

Director: Frank Miller

Producer: Deborah Del Prete, Gigi Pritzker, Michael Uslan

Budget (estimated): n / a

Screenplay: Frank Miller based on the comic strip by Will Eisner

Official site: English - French