Hollywood legend Keanu Reeves is thinking about directing Netflix’s film adaptation of BRZRKR, a comic book about an immortal warrior fighting through the ages. Reeves confessed that he hasn’t read Mattson Tomlin’s script yet, but he is considering directing the adaption of his best-selling comic himself.
First published in 2021 after a successful Kickstarter campaign, BRZRKR is an epic tale that impressed critics and readers alike. The highly cinematic and action-filled story features a warrior that looks just like Reeves beating people to a pulp in different moments in history. The comic book was bound to get a film adaptation and last year Netflix announced that it would transform BRZRKR into a live-action movie and an animated series with two seasons. Surprising no one, the live-action film will star Reeves in the leading role.
While the animated series is being kept under wraps, the movie got some recent developments after screenwriter Tomlin announced on Twitter last week that he had finished his draft of the BRZRKR movie. Given the short window between that announcement and our interview, it was unlikely that the comic book team had the opportunity to read the script. We had to ask anyway, and Reeves confirmed that he didn’t have the time to go through it. As he told us, “I got it yesterday or two days ago. I haven’t read it yet.” Reeves also told us that it’s still “early days” to consider a director, as they don’t know yet if everyone will sign off on Tomlin’s script. However, Reeves revealed that he has been thinking about directing the movie himself. In fact, Reeves says there’s a “33%” chance of him becoming the director. Not bad odds.
If Reeves takes the director chair for the BRZRKR live-action film, he could help the adaptation to be faithful to the comic books. On that note, the only director credit in Reeves’ career was for 2013’s Man of Tai Chi, a movie he took over because he was part of the writing process and felt really attached to it. So, according to Reeves, the same could happen if he likes Tomlin’s script. As he puts it:
“I know how it’s a lot of work, but the film that I directed, Man of Tai Chi, was born, I became the director because I was part of the writing process, and I didn’t want to hand it over. I was like, oh, okay. I have to direct this. I’m not quite there yet on ‘BRZRKR’. I have to read the script, but I’m also interested in having a collaborator and what they could bring to it.”
After learning of this extraordinary possibility, all we can do is agree with Garney who said to Reeves during the interview, “Get that percentage up, man. I mean, I think it’s all you. You should be doing it. Clint Eastwood does it. I mean, you can do it, I think you, it’s your thing.”
There’s no release date for the BRZRKR movie or the animated series. Stay tuned for our full interview with Reeves, Kindt, and Garney. Until then, here’s Keanu Reeves, director Francis Lawrence, and producer Akiva Goldsman reflecting on the making of the 2005 DC Comics adaptation Constantine for its 15th anniversary.
