The news that NBC and Warner Bros. are developing the adventures of DC Comics' John Constantine as a television series is good news for fans of the Hellblazer, Justice League Dark and Constantine character -- but, as co-creator Stephen Bissette has revealed, not so good news for those who came up with the character in the first place.
"As of this morning, it appears there will be NO payment to the Constantine creators for this series," Bissette wrote on his Facebook page today. "This [television] option apparently rolled out of the already-paid-for option for the CONSTANTINE movie in the 1990s. Thus, we'll only see $$ waaaay down the road, it appears, IF this series makes it to being a series. If it makes money. If it trickles down."
STORY: NBC Adapting DC Comics' 'Constantine' With David Goyer
The "1990s" film in question is actually 2005's Constantine, which featured Keanu Reeves as a version of the character barely recognizable as the one that first appeared in 1985's Swamp Thing #37 by Bissette, Alan Moore and John Totleben. Whether or not this means that David S. Goyer's television version is somehow a spin-off or sequel to the movie, and would pull over any of that movie's alterations to the character is unknown but hopefully unlikely, given that whole "John Constantine isn't American, thanks very much" thing.
Bissette added "we will see $$ from any comics/graphic novels sold from the spillover of interest, FYI. Hollywood accounting: gotta love it."
