“NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU…”
We’ve collected comics since we were kids, and over the years we’ve seen some pretty gruesome and disturbing things splashed across those pages. Superheroes beaten to a pulp, characters getting ripped apart by monsters, aliens invading Earth and pretty much anything else a comic book creator can dream up.
Still, we never thought Crossed would actually make the jump from the page to the screen.
Never say never.
One of the most notorious horror comics ever published is finally heading to theaters, with Rob Jabbaz, the filmmaker behind The Sadness, behind the camera. The first NSFW teaser has arrived, giving us our first look at what he has in store.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR “CROSSED” BELOW
Created by Garth Ennis, the writer behind The Boys and Preacher, Crossed originally hit comic shops in 2008 with artwork by Jacen Burrows. Ennis has also written the screenplay, based on the original 10 issue comic series.
The story takes place in a world devastated by a mysterious infection. Those who become infected develop a distinctive cross shaped mark on their foreheads and surrender themselves completely to their darkest impulses. The Crossed aren’t your typical movie zombies. They can think, communicate and retain their intelligence. What disappears is any sense of morality or restraint, making them unpredictable predators who can be every bit as dangerous as the survivors trying to escape them.
Devin Druid (13 Reasons Why) and Ash Santos (American Horror Story) lead the cast as Stan and Cindy, two survivors who find themselves leading a group of strangers as they attempt to make their way north while staying ahead of the Crossed.
The ensemble also includes Ethan Jones Romero (Law & Order) as Thomas, Kyla Hee (Psychosis) as Kelly, Chido Nwokocha (Top Gun: Maverick) as Kitrick, Spenser Granese (Dope Thief) as Brett, Bob Morley (The 100) as Randall, Ana Mulvoy Ten (American Crime) as Sheena, Steven Hack (Little Death) as Geoff and newcomer Lorenzo Ross as Patrick.
On the infected side, Owen Harn (Cobra Kai) plays Horsecock, with Fedor Steer (Haunted Mansion) as Face and Kelvin Adekunle (City of Love) as Stump. Angie Campbell plays Amy, while Peter Falls takes on the role of Joel.
Anyone familiar with Crossed already knows why this project has caught our attention. Ennis’ comic went places that most mainstream horror wouldn’t even consider, building a reputation that has followed the series for years.
That makes Jabbaz an especially interesting choice. His feature debut, The Sadness, was influenced by the same kind of extreme horror found throughout Ennis’ work. Seeing what he does with Crossed could make for a fascinating transition from comic panels to the big screen.
We’ve seen plenty of comics make the leap to film and television over the years, but Crossed always seemed like one of those properties that would be incredibly difficult to translate without losing what made it unique.
Apparently, somebody finally decided to give it a shot.