Whiteout Movie Is A Go

The long-in-development film adaptation of Greg Rucka's graphic novel Whiteout is finally happening, according to Dark Horizons. Whiteout tells the story of U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko. While investigating a series of homicides in Antarctica, Stetko crosses paths with British Secret Service agent Lily Sharpe, who is on the trail of missing uranium. "Lily Sharpe" was later revealed to be an alias of Tara Chace, who went on to star in her own comic book series by Rucka, the sublime Queen & Country, as well as two novels (so far). The character's name was changed so that the movie rights to Chace and Q&C wouldn't be tied up with the rights to Whiteout, which makes sense. A seperate Queen & Country movie is also in development.

The Whiteout movie will be produced by Joel Silver through his Dark Castle Productions. Beautiful Kate Beckinsale will star as Stetko, who's supposed to be a Plain Jane (she seems miscast, but maybe she'll surprise me), and Dominic Sena, who made the forgettable Swordfish and Gone In Sixty Seconds, will direct. Too bad. In the hands of a great director, this snowbound thriller would make a very interesting movie. Like Beckinsale, I hope Sena surprises me. Filming begins in March in Manitoba. As of an older draft of the script, the British agent character had been changed to a man, the feeling at the time being that two women couldn't carry a movie. (Yes, that's how they think in Hollywood!) I don't know if that's still the case. Come to think of it, Beckinsale would make a much better Lily Sharpe than Carrie Stetko...

Queen & Country, meanwhile, is not cancelled, as has been rumored, but merely delayed. Again. Rucka himself confirms this on his message board. Issue 32 (and hopefully more thereafter) is still in the pipeline, as is a third novel.

You can read a free sample of the Whiteout graphic novel here.