What’s the status of “Y: The Last Man,” the planned movie adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s beloved comic book series? Last we heard, producer David Goyer said the script was and that production could start as soon as this year.
That was June of 2013. Since then, nary a peep on the adventures of Yorick Brown and his capuchin companion Ampersand through the male-free post-apocalypse — even though New Line reportedly considered “Y: The Last Man” one of their as recently as September 2012.
Now, a new update from Vaughan himself suggests that the “Y: The Last Man” movie might not go forward as planned.
“It’s my understanding that the rights to ‘Y: The Last Man’ will revert back to co-creator Pia Guerra and me for the first time in a decade if the planned New Line adaptation doesn’t start shooting in the next few months,” Vaughan told ComicBookResources.com. “So I expect there will be some ‘Y’ news in 2014 either way.”
In other words, if New Line doesn’t hustle and put “Y” on the fast-track, that train will be headed on a one-way trip to Vaughan and Guerra’s doorstep. And in case you’re wondering, yes, that’s potentially a very good thing.
For starters, many “Y” fans agree that the comic book is best served as a television series, not as a film. It’s a sprawling story, one that can’t be contained in a two-hour runtime. Even if an adaptation does come in the form of a film, it’s best if Vaughan and Guerra have more control over the project — even if that means waiting even longer for “Y” to take shape. A delayed “Y,” even no “Y,” is better than a rushed and sloppy “Y.”
But another point to consider is Vaughan and his experience level now versus where he was when “Y’s” movie rights were sold. Since then, Vaughan served as a writer on “Lost” for three seasons, and continues to shepherd the CBS series “Under the Dome.” He’s a more experienced quantity when it comes to live-action storytelling, and will have a better understanding of how to make a live-action “Y” now than ever before. The story is safest in his and Guerra’s hands.
Why all the interest in “Y,” anyway? If you haven’t read the comics, first of all, fix that. Second, here’s a quick primer: It takes place in the aftermath of a global pandemic that kills every living organism with a Y chromosome, except for young Yorick Brown and his monkey pal Ampersand. They team up with the lethal Agent 355 and cunning scientist Alison Mann to discover the reason behind the near-extinction of male-kind, and to save humanity’s future. It’s touching, it’s epic, it’s deeply funny — the perfect material for a compelling film or TV series, if done properly.
As Vaughan suggests, stay tuned for more news at some point in 2014, one way or the other.
Do you want to see New Line’s “Y: The Last Man” succeed, or would you rather the rights revert back to Vaughan and Guerra?
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