Hardcore - What We Know So Far

For a little over the last decade or so, the name Robert Kirkman has been synonymous with AMC's long-running post-apocalyptic zombie series "The Walking Dead," and its various spinoffs. While that marvelous z-fiction fantasia will likely remain Kirkman's calling card for all eternity, the famed comics creator has actually published several equally memorable titles over the years that have nothing to do with flesh-eating hordes. Even now, as Amazon Studios' adaptation of Kirkman's "Invincible" is helping put "The Walking Dead" in his wake, another of his better non-zombie creations is now prepping for the big screen treatment.

That creation is called "Hardcore." It's released by Skybound, as well as Image Comics, the artist-friendly publisher behind Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" series. And you had better believe this story more than lives up to its title. 

At this time of writing, not much is known about the just green-lit adaptation of "Hardcore," but a few choice nuggets of info have indeed already been released. Here's everything we know so far.

Now that we know some big screen "Hardcore" action is in the works, the first question fans of the books no doubt have is simple: when will we get to see the madness in theaters? 

Unfortunately, it'll likely to be some time before we actually get confirmation on the film's release date. For the first time in a very long time, that has absolutely nothing to do with a certain pesky pandemic. Rather, it's due to the fact that the adaptation of Robert Kirkman's "Hardcore" has only just been announced, with Deadline reporting the film doesn't even have a script in place just yet.

As such, it's obviously way too early in production to know when we might be queuing to buy tickets to a screening. Fans of "Hardcore" should be more than excited about the film's production, however, as the adaptation is getting the major studio treatment via backing from Universal Pictures. And just given the scope of the books, it's a safe bet this one is being ticketed for a summer release of some sort. Once we know for sure when "Hardcore" will hit theaters, we'll get that info to you with utmost haste. 

As you might've guessed given that "Hardcore" is only just getting off the ground at Universal Pictures, and the general lack of quantifiable facts available about the production, we haven't a single clue who's going to be starring in the film. But taking into account the relatively high profile of the project, we'd expect there to be some casting news on the way sometime in the very near future. When that news begins to break, you'll obviously be able to find it right here.

Until then, we can confirm you should be very excited about who's working behind-the-scenes on "Hardcore," because Adam Wingard (You're Next, The Guest) has been hired to write and direct the adaptation. Wingard is fresh off the biggest release of his career in Warner Bros. Pictures' monstrous kaiju mash-up "Godzilla vs. Kong," and is clearly looking to go big again for his follow up project. Whether that follow up will actually be "Hardcore" or the second monster-verse movie he's already signed up to direct for Warner Bros., though? It remains to be seen. What we do know is that Wingard will be penning "Hardcore" from a story outline written by Kirkman himself, and it should be fascinating to see what that genre-centric mind-meld produces. 

While we wait to find out the "when" and "who" of the "Hardcore" adaptation, the "what" of the project is a bit clearer. And even if we don't know exactly what Kirkman conjured up for his "Hardcore" outline, the fact that the new film is based on the world he and Marc Silvestri created in the comics means we have a general idea of what's in store. 

Those who've even casually read "Hardcore" know what's in store is a hyper-violent sci-fi delight about Agent Drake, a soldier who sets out to essentially save the world by getting the hands of others bloody. He's able to do so via a dangerous bit of technology that allows a person to take over the mind of an unsuspecting human host, and control their bodies to their own needs ... which often means gaining access to, or assassinating, enemies of the state.

When "Hardcore" begins, that tech (dubbed The Hardcore Program) is hijacked by a nefarious and mysterious entity, with Agent Drake becoming trapped in a host body and facing a 72-hour deadline to figure out who took the program over, and how to stop them. Yes, the plot of "Hardcore" sounds eerily similar to that of Brandon Cronenberg's 2020 sci-fi stunner "Possessor." While the plots are similar enough on the surface, though, Kirkman and the "Hardcore" team take matters in a very different direction, utilizing the techno-phobic insanity in service of an action-packed thriller epic in scale, yet still surprisingly personal. 

We simply cannot wait to see what Wingard does with the twisty narrative that setup inspires. Stay tuned for more details.