Well, it's finally happened; there's going to be a Penny Arcade movie. Now, don't let me mislead you: this isn't a film based upon the ongoing hijinks of web-comic superstars Tycho and Gabe. Instead, the upcoming Paramount picture is an animated adaptation of a one-off Penny Arcade comic strip called "The New Kid." I wish I had the talent to draw a single page comic and have it turned into a movie.
Back in October of last year, the guys over at Penny Arcade put a up a simple comic, unrelated to their usual games and geeks strips. The comic featured a young boy named Sol, arguing with his father about constantly having to move to a new school. At first it seems like this is the ordinary tale of a kid moving all around the country, from town to town, as his dad looks for work. The end of the strip, however, pans out out to show that Sol is actually moving around to new planets, where I'm assuming he's having a hard time fitting in with, you know, aliens and stuff.
Strangely enough, Gabe (a.k.a. Mike Krahulik) may have actually seen this coming. When the comic originally ran, he stated that he felt the strip's concept could be turned into an animated movie.
"Being the new kid is hard, being the new kid in a school full of aliens is harder. Tycho mentioned that this one could be the biggest thing we ever do and I think he’s right," Gabe wrote on Penny Arcade. "My fantasy is to see Dreamworks, Disney or Nickelodeon make an animated feature or a Saturday morning cartoon out of this one. Who knows maybe they will see it and give me a call!"
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has tapped Gary Whitta – former PC Gamer editor-in-chief and "Book of Eli" screenwriter – to pen "The New Kid." The story, rather obviously, revolves around the tale of a young boy who is the only human in an alien school. Whitta Tweeted his excitement about the project last night.
I'm remaining cautiously optimistic about this project. While I enjoy both Penny Arcade and Whitta's work immensely, it's difficult to imagine that a single comic provides adequate context within which to produce an entire, say 90-minute, animated film. That said, I think these guys are more than capable of pulling it off. Sure, it's based on just one comic strip, but we're talking about two guys who have managed to build an empire – books, online shows, games, two massive fan conventions a year – from what started as a humble web-comic between two friends. If Krahulik and Holkins stay heavily involved, it could be great.
"The New Kid" could be the conduit through which Penny Arcade finds an even broader, new audience.