10 Non-Superhero Comic-Book Movies That Must Happen

7. The Invisibles

Created by genius writer Grant Morrison, The Invisibles is a trippy series based around an underground group of rebels as they try to take down an alien race, which has enslaved the people of Earth without being detected. While it sounds fairly straightforward, The Invisibles is a mind-bending epic that features some bizarre characters and situations. For example, the series starts in Liverpool as Dane, a working-class troublemaker, is sent to a school for young delinquents later revealed to be run by the evil aliens themselves, before being rescued by The Invisibles themselves. These rebels have suitably odd names and looks: King Mob, Lord Fanny, Boy, Ragged Robin are the core team, but others are revealed later in the run. Grant Morrison famously accused The Matrix of being based on The Invisibles, but a straight adaptation of the material would be incredibly difficult for any studio. With such disparate elements as time-hopping back to the French Revolution and sentient satellites par for the course, The Invisibles is a brilliant, bold, but totally outlandish comic. However, if the focus of the first arc were to be tightened, a movie adaptation could be successful. The concept of freedom fighters struggling to take down an evil empire is universally popular, but the themes of anti-conformity and sub-cultures would be hard for some audiences to take if handled poorly. While someone like Terry Gilliam might be able to handle such odd material, the alien angle and action scenes would need to be the key selling points. Somewhat ironically, making the adaptation close in tone to The Matrix would likely help, and allow the core themes and ideas to remain intact. Casting well-known names and investing in outstanding production design and effects would be essential to maximize commercial appeal.