AfterShock Comics series ‘The Kaiju Score’ getting movie adaptation by Sony

The Kaiju Score has been pitched as a Quentin Tarantino film taking place in some corner of a Godzilla movie.

August 25, 2020

Press Release

The Hollywood Reporter had the scoop that The Kaiju Score is now in production at Sony Pictures. But wait, the comic book isn’t out till November 25th! That’s right, in a competitive situation, Sony Pictures acquired the film rights to AfterShock Comics’ upcoming comic book series by writer James Patrick and Artist Rem Broo. Check out an early preview of The Kaiju Score here.

Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch will produce, along with Tony Shaw who brought the property into Sony. AfterShock Comics’ Lee Kramer and Jon Kramer will also produce. To give you a sense of what Escape Artist is up to, the production company is currently in prep on The Man From Toronto at Sony Pictures, with Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson attached to star and Patrick Hughes set to direct.

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So what’s it about?

It’s the most dangerous heist ever attempted. Four desperate criminals are going all in on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to steal millions in art and turn their miserable lives around. The catch? They have to pull it off under the nose of a one thousand-ton kaiju. And a giant monster might just be the least of their problems.

Sent via press release by AfterShock Comics, this is what the creators had to say about the exciting news.

THE BOOK HASN’T EVEN BEEN RELEASED YET AND THERE’S ALREADY A FILM DEAL WITH SONY – HOW/ WHY IS THAT EXCITING FOR YOU?

JAMES PATRICK: “I have a habit – maybe a bad one – of always trying to be funny or clever or sarcastic when people ask me questions, and I find myself at a loss for any of that here. The truth is that the whole thing has been wonderful and surreal, but I’ve also found myself kind of having not digested it because it happened so fast. I’ve tried to not be excited about it and just focus on my work, but I’ve failed at that. I’m excited. Period. Excited because it will hopefully bring more eyes to the book since it won’t come out until November, excited for people to read the book and see how much more it is than just a good hook, and excited if it brings more attention to my other work and to Rem Broo’s wonderful art and his other books. And despite the fact that things happened with the publisher and movie deal so fast, this was a book that was developed for a while and it’s nice to see a payoff. And there’s a sense of relief since Rem had committed himself to it so long ago and put in so much work before anything ever came of it. And I can’t communicate enough how excited I am that this is with Sony and Escape Artists. They make great movies and I feel the material is in great hands. I can’t believe how lucky we got.”

REM BROO: “I was talking to a good friend of mine the other day, telling her how fast things are moving with this project and that I fear that this might make me feel anxious and overwhelmed in the end. She replied that after 10 years of intensely overworking myself in the industry, it’s about time for something to move fast in the right direction, so I should lay back and enjoy a bit of success. She’s right. I am excited for every step of this process, but it isn’t time to relax just yet. Not only has the book not been released yet, but it hasn’t been finalized. James did a fantastic job on the script, but I still have plenty to do on the visual part. This fact keeps me grounded and cool-headed for the moment. I need to keep myself focused on doing my job as well as my abilities allow me to, and let the things develop into something that I’m sure will be great.”

AfterShock

For more on the book, as well as more words from the creators, read the official AfterShock press release below.

It’s the most dangerous heist ever attempted. Four desperate criminals are going all in on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to steal millions in art and turn their miserable lives around. The catch? They have to pull it off under the nose of a one thousand-ton kaiju. And a giant monster might just be the least of their problems.

Brought to you by the James Patrick (Grimm Fairy Tales, Death Comes to Dillinger, The Monsters of Jimmy Crumb) and Rem Broo (The End Times of Bram and Ben, Terminal Protocol) THE KAIJU SCORE is what happens when a Quentin Tarantino film takes place smack in the middle of a Godzilla movie.

In a competitive situation, Sony Pictures has acquired the film rights to AfterShock Comics’ upcoming comic book series THE KAIJU SCORE, from writer James Patrick (Grimm Fairy Tales, Death Comes to Dillinger, The Monsters of Jimmy Crumb) and artist Rem Broo (The End Times of Bram and Ben, Terminal Protocol).

Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch will produce, along with Tony Shaw who brought the property into Sony. AfterShock Comics’ Lee Kramer and Jon Kramer will also produce.

Jiao Chen is overseeing the project for Sony Pictures. Sony Pictures’ Drew Reed and Jake Bauman were instrumental in the deal, as was Rive Gauche Television with Steve Burkow of Ziffren, Brittenham, who negotiated on behalf of AfterShock.

Escape Artists is currently in prep on The Man From Toronto at Sony Pictures, with Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson attached to star and Patrick Hughes set to direct, as well as Journal For Jordan written by Virgil Williams and based on the memoir by Dana Canedy, with Denzel Washington directing and Michael B. Jordan starring.

THE BOOK HASN’T EVEN BEEN RELEASED YET AND THERE’S ALREADY A FILM DEAL WITH SONY – HOW/ WHY IS THAT EXCITING FOR YOU?

JAMES PATRICK: “I have a habit – maybe a bad one – of always trying to be funny or clever or sarcastic when people ask me questions, and I find myself at a loss for any of that here. The truth is that the whole thing has been wonderful and surreal, but I’ve also found myself kind of having not digested it because it happened so fast. I’ve tried to not be excited about it and just focus on my work, but I’ve failed at that. I’m excited. Period. Excited because it will hopefully bring more eyes to the book since it won’t come out until November, excited for people to read the book and see how much more it is than just a good hook, and excited if it brings more attention to my other work and to Rem Broo’s wonderful art and his other books. And despite the fact that things happened with the publisher and movie deal so fast, this was a book that was developed for a while and it’s nice to see a payoff. And there’s a sense of relief since Rem had committed himself to it so long ago and put in so much work before anything ever came of it. And I can’t communicate enough how excited I am that this is with Sony and Escape Artists. They make great movies and I feel the material is in great hands. I can’t believe how lucky we got.”

REM BROO: “I was talking to a good friend of mine the other day, telling her how fast things are moving with this project and that I fear that this might make me feel anxious and overwhelmed in the end. She replied that after 10 years of intensely overworking myself in the industry, it’s about time for something to move fast in the right direction, so I should lay back and enjoy a bit of success. She’s right. I am excited for every step of this process, but it isn’t time to relax just yet. Not only has the book not been released yet, but it hasn’t been finalized. James did a fantastic job on the script, but I still have plenty to do on the visual part. This fact keeps me grounded and cool-headed for the moment. I need to keep myself focused on doing my job as well as my abilities allow me to, and let the things develop into something that I’m sure will be great.”

WHAT’S A PITCH TO READERS ABOUT THE BOOK AND WHY IT’S A MUST READ?

JAMES PATRICK: “I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it because I think it’s spot on: the best pitch is that it’s a Quentin Tarantino film taking place in some corner of a Godzilla movie. A character piece with monsters in the background. But the “must read” aspect comes from that it goes deeper than the hook and has some great characters, great dialogue, great moments, and Rem’s killer art. We always believed this book should have a cool element and swagger that would make it stand out. That if this book were a person, everyone would notice it when it walked into a room.”

REM BROO: “Imagine a world where a 100 meter tall sea creature wants to have a casual sunbath in your neighborhood park. You might use common sense and leave, or maybe you would stick around, especially if there was money, ego, and some hidden high stakes involved. Now, that’s interesting. As for the presentation package for this story, I’m going to use the words that James did when he approached me for the first time, regarding a possible collaboration between the two of us. He said that I might be the right guy for the job because my art has “life and style and a nice slick vibe”. I think he used these words because they mirror his writing perfectly. The truth is that this book has attitude. And nobody can stay away from that.”