Coming Soon: Essex County the Movie

I'm a bit late in getting this news up on the blog, but it is worth mentioning even if it is late.  Jeff Lemire, who is easily one of my favorite comic writers and artists, announced on his blog last week that his Tales from the Farm story which can be found in his award winning graphic novel, Essex County, is going to be made into a live-action film.

Tales from the Farm is a story about a ten year old orphaned boy named Lester who moves to the farm to live with his uncle.  The relationship between the boy and his uncle is strained, to say the least, and the boy's only real friend is Jimmy LeBouf, the town's local gas station owner, and former pro hockey player.  Together they play pond hockey and play imaginative games like super heroes and alien invaders. 

I don't usually get too excited over film adaptation announcements, but this makes me quiver with anticipation. 

Lemire is a master of nailing down stark imagery and delivering on the emotional front, so this could definitely be an interesting film.  It is also quite a lot different than the usual shit Hollywood squirts out these days, so this film might be a nice breath of fresh air.  The scenes where Lester and Jimmy play in their fantasy world should be pretty cool to witness on the big screen, and will require some nifty special effects. 

At this point I'm optimistic this will be a movie worth checking out, but this could just as easily be a total flop if it isn't handled well.  Until more details surface, my fingers are crossed.