After Attack the Block arrived in 2011, lots of folks expected Joe Cornish to become a prolific filmmaker hired by big studios to make great, original movies. Instead, he’s only directed one other film – The Kid Who Would Be King in 2019. Thankfully, Cornish is about to get back in the director’s chair again with Starlight, an adaptation of the Mark Millar comic of the same name. Cornish will write and direct the film for 20th Century Studios. The comic follows a space hero who saves the galaxy only to discover no one believes the stories of his adventures when he returns to Earth.

Deadline broke the news that Joe Cornish will write and direct Starlight, based on the Mark Millar limited comic series that was first published in 2014. The story “centers on a space hero who saved the universe 35 years ago but when he came back to Earth, no one believed his fantastic stories. He married, had kids and settled into old age, but then his old rocket ship shows up, and he is called back for one fantastic adventure.” Here’s the official comic synopsis:

Forty years ago, Duke McQueen saved an alien world from destruction. Back on earth, nobody believed his story. Now his kids are grown, his wife has passed on, and life has little to offer. Until the day a strange boy from the world he once saved makes an appearance, coaxing Duke to join him on one last adventure. Can Duke handle the leap from has-been to hero?

First: this premise sounds fun. Second: Duke McQueen is the perfect name for this type of character. The original Starlight comic ran for six issues and featured art by Goran Parlov. Millar’s work includes Kingsman: The Secret Service, Wanted, Kick-Ass, and much more, and while I tend to be mixed in my reaction to those listed titles, Starlight sounds like it has a lot of potential, and getting Cornish to write and direct the adaptation immediately catches my attention.

Cornish is apparently very selective on what he works on, which I guess explains why we don’t see him associated with more projects. Still, I’m always happy when I learn he’s cooking up something new. In addition to directing Attack the Block and The Kid Who Would Be King, Cornish also has writing credits on Ant-Man (he was developing the movie with original director Edgar Wright), and The Adventures of Tin-Tin. Cornish also has stated several times that he’s been working on a potential Attack the Block sequel.

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