There’s no rest for director Taika Waititi, with yet another project now in the works: the first feature adaptation of Alejandro Jodorowsky (the very same whose Dune vision was sadly never realised) and Mœbius’ bestselling graphic novel, The Incal.
Waititi will also co-write the script with long-term collaborator Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows) and Peter Warren (The History of Us).
First introduced in 1980 by Chilean-French writer Jodorowsky and French artist Jean Giraud/Mœbius, The Incal soon became the bestselling science fiction graphic novel of all time and has since been described by some as the best comic book in the medium’s history.
An epic space opera set in the dystopian capital city of a minor planet, in a world inhabited by humans and featherless bird-looking aliens called the Bergs, The Incal centres on a class “R” private investigator John Difool and his concrete seagull as they come to be in possession of a mystical artefact of immense power. A minor problem is that many others also seek to acquire the magical Light Incal crystal: the Bergs, the local (very corrupt) government, the Amok rebel group, the Techno-Technos (a technocratic cult that worships the Dark Incal), and more.
As Difool learns of the Incal’s powers and purpose, he – and the ragtag crew that’s assembled along the way – are led on a mission to save the universe. Gradually though, the comics come to develop Difool’s spiritual journey, exploring themes of existentialism, duplication and identity, religion and mysticism, along with generous helpings of social commentary (from imperialism to gender).
The Incal also introduced the “Jodoverse”, aka the “Metabarons Unvierse” in which a number of Jodorowsky’s other comics take place. The original comic includes and expands upon the concepts and artwork from the aforementioned unrealised Dune project.
Jodorowsky expressed his support for Waititi’s hiring, stating that, having seen his work, “it became obvious to me that he was the one. I fully trust Taika’s creativity to give The Incal a stunning take, intimate and at the same time of cosmic proportions.”
