As we are all aware, the current trend in Hollywood is to scoop up and option nearly every comic book property or graphic novel possible and turn it into a movie or television show. Of course, this has been met with varying amounts of success. For every The Dark Knight and American Splendor, we get five Constantine's and Fantastic Four's. This new feature at CraveOnline has a lofty goal; we hope to educate those without previous knowledge of a comic property to become familiar with franchises that have recently been picked up for a film or television series. In doing so, hopefully we can train the untrained eyes to spot weaknesses in a film's development so that some day, Hollywood bigwigs will have no choice but to produce faithful and quality works based on our favorite sequential art.
Our usual approach to Source Material is to garner the unfamiliar prepared enough to see a film without actually ever reading the original book. While I rather inspire you to read the original material on your own, rather than taking what I say word for word, times are tough and time is scarce. That's why when it comes to Whiteout, the Oni Press series written by Greg Rucka and drawn by Steve Lieber that has a film releasing on September 11, I'm going to stick solely to the first volume (there are currently two), as judging from the trailer and plot synopsis, the film takes most of its cues from Whiteout: Volume 1. This way, those of you invested enough in the character of Carrie Stetko after reading the first volume - and, God willing, enjoying the movie - you can jump right into Whiteout: Melt, volume 2 of the series.
The incident with her prisoner is the primary driving force behind many of Carrie's current professional conflicts, including a distrustful relationship with her boss - who is stationed quite far away - and the fear she elicits from those around her, who should instead be at ease with the presence of a US Marshal. The drama she created for herself by killing a prisoner is most certainly detrimental to her likability to other characters, but it only makes the reader grow fonder.
Though you'll find little in the way of romantic relationships in the first volume of Whiteout, Rucka infuses his character with the gay overtones that he has come to use quite often in his mainstream comics career, including his current Detective Comics duo Batwoman and Renee Montoya, The Question.
As far as the rest of the characters in the first volume of Whiteout goes, the next most important role would belong to Lily Sharpe, a British spy who winds up working the same case that Carrie has fallen into; not to mention, providing a small amount of sexual tension between herself and our hero. Unfortunately, it seems that Lily Sharpe has been omitted entirely from the film, with the filmmakers opting instead for a UN Operative played by Gabriel Macht. It's not overly concerning in terms of the plot itself, as I'm sure Macht's character will serve the same purpose that Lily did in the book. What raises an eyebrow is the blatant and shameful abortion of a potential lesbian relationship between two main characters. Because, you know, it's 2009 and heaven forbid.
Other key characters in Whiteout include Dr. Furry, a tenured medical practitioner who is set to leave on the next flight out from the South Pole, finally done with his assignment in the Antarctic. And finally, there is Haden, a relatively shady character that serves as the driving force behind the reader's suspicions for a majority of the story. Furry and Haden will be played by Tom Skerritt and Alex O'Loughlin, respectively.
Set against the isolated white backdrop, what would usually be a standard whodunnit becomes an intensely claustrophobic thriller where anyone can be a suspect, particularly with such a small cast of characters to choose from. Hopefully Whiteout will be able to capture these ideas on film, and be not just a decent entry into the thriller genre, but a faithful adaptation of the original's themes.
