Titan gets The Spirit

Adding yet another official, in-depth companion to its catalogue, Titan Books has announced it acquired worldwide rights to a deluxe making-of book for the Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment production of Will Eisner’s The Spirit, due to be released in 2009.

Will Eisner’s classic comic character is set to make the leap to the silver screen in a spectacular new live-action movie, written and directed by Frank Miller (Sin City, 300). Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment are production partners on the film, produced by Deborah Del Prete and Gigi Pritzker of Odd Lot Entertainment and Michael Uslan of Batfilm Productions Inc. Batfilm co-founder Benjamin Melniker and Steven Maier are executive producers. Odd Lot's Linda McDonough and Batfilm's F.J. DeSanto serve as co-producers.

Lionsgate is distributing Will Eisner’s The Spirit in the US and UK.

Featuring interviews with the cast and crew, colour photos, storyboards and production art, plus the full screenplay, publication is slated for December 2008, ahead of the movie’s release on 16 January 2009.

Considered by many to be the "Citizen Kane of comic books", presumed dead, young detective Denny Colt dons the blue mask and suit of The Spirit to fight crime in his hometown of Central City, using nothing but his wits and fists. With Miller at the helm, the movie promises a loyal but dark take on the well-loved character. “I intend to be extremely faithful to the heart and soul of the material, but it won’t be nostalgic," he told Variety. "It will be much scarier than people expect.”

Gabriel Macht will take the title role of The Spirit, with Samuel L. Jackson as his arch-nemesis The Octopus, and Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson as alluring femmes fatales Sand Saref and Silken Floss.