‘Sleeper’ Scribe Signed

Newcomer Brad Ingelsby has been hired by Warner Bros. to adapt WildStorm’s Sleeper into a feature film. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ short-lived sf/crime comic lasted two 12-part maxiseries and was somewhat tied to the greater WildStorm continuity.  In fact, the first maxiseries ended and spun events into the Coup D’Etat crossover event.

Ingelsby sold his first screenplay, Low Dweller, to Relativity Media just this March. They then hired Ridley Scott to direct and cast Leonardo DiCaprio to star which, if the cameras actually roll, will bring the scribe a cool million dollar payday.

Sleeper is about Holden Carver, nicknamed The Conductor, who is fused with an alien artifact that makes Carver impervious to pain. Instead, he can store the pain and transfer it to others, a rather nifty skill. He is then sent undercover to infiltrate a criminal organization. When his contact (in the comics, Tao’s John Lynch) is killed, Carver is left with no allies.

According to Variety, the film adaptation, without continuity ties, will be produced by the very busy Sam Raimi with Star Road Entertainment partner Josh Donen.

Brubaker and Phillips enjoyed working so much together that they now produce Criminal for Marvel’s Icon imprint.