Summary

• David Dastmalchian is confident that Count Crowley can be adapted into a movie or TV show, possibly in an animated format.
• Dastmalchian's acting history in comic book adaptations and his connections in the industry make him a suitable candidate to helm a Count Crowley adaptation.
• The current success and audience demand for independent and unique comic book stories, as well as the popularity of the horror genre, increase the chances of Count Crowley becoming a successful adaptation.

With his own celebrated history in the genre, David Dastmalchian feels confident in Count Crowley getting a movie or TV adaptation. First published in 2019, the horror comic book series centers on rising TV journalist Jerri Bartman as she returns to her hometown news station after failing to convince her bosses she was assaulted by a fellow reporter. Feeling at her lowest as she is demoted to hosting the late-night horror block, Bartman learns of the higher stakes behind the job as she has to become a real-life monster hunter, all while battling her own demons.

While speaking exclusively with Screen Rant at 2023's San Diego Comic-Con, David Dastmalchian shared his thoughts on Count Crowley being adapted to another medium. The creator proved fairly confident in the possibility of bringing his horror comic to life as a movie or TV show, even revealing he's been talking with his producing partner about the possibility of doing so in an animated genre. See what Dastmalchian shared below:

David Dastmalchian: I would love that so much. I was just talking to my assistant/producing partner, Jen, on the walk over to the interview about the power of animation. Some of the stories that I'm working on I think would do really well in the animated space. Live-action, I think, is a perfect format for some of the stories that I'm telling. What's beautiful and wonderful about being a comic book creator and writer is that you have this luxury and opportunity to work with a small amount of collaborators to create a world and really lay it out for people to look at the potential because your imagination is your limit and there is no limit to the imagination with the comic book as opposed to the budgets of, say, a TV show or a movie or something like that. What I hope and dream for each of these characters I've created is that they'll live on in different medias.

Editor's Note: This interview was conducted during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes and only covers the current comic series, as a movie or series could not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in WGA and SAG-AFTRA.

Dastmalchian's Acting History Could Help With A Count Crowley Adaptation

After first breaking into acting on stage, Dastmalchian brought his talent to the screen for the first time in 2008 with both a cameo appearance in ER and, more importantly, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight as a member of Joker's gang, which began his trend of popping up in comic book adaptations. Following acclaimed roles in Prisoners and Animals, which he also wrote and produced, Dastmalchian returned to the genre with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Ant-Man movies, The CW's The Flash, the The Suicide Squad and Tomorrowverse's Batman: The Long Halloween two-part movie.

Having established himself as a notable figure in the comic book genre while still branching out his talents in the horror genre with Bird Box and The Boogeyman, among others, Dastmalchian has become a veritable enough name that there is likely a production company or studio out there who would be keen to work with him on a Count Crowley adaptation. Additionally, his publisher Dark Horse Comics has working relationships with a number of major studios, including Lionsgate from the last Hellboy adaptation, Warner Bros. for the 300 movies and Universal Content Productions for The Umbrella Academy and Resident Alien, among others.

The other major advantage in the chances for a Count Crowley movie or TV adaptation is the ongoing success the comic book genre is enjoying and the desire from audiences to see more independent stories. With the MCU and DCU enduring some franchise fatigue from audiences for their intense interconnectivity, creating anticipation for more isolated stories like that of the The Crow and Spawn reboots. Additionally, with the horror genre remaining as successful as ever at the box office, something unique like Count Crowley could become a smash hit if given the opportunity.