If a story sounds remotely interesting, then there’s a good chance that someone in Hollywood will look to adapt it and make a number of sequels. You don’t have to look very far an example as many TV shows and movies these days are often based on a book or a comic or even a literal house cat. Seriously, internet celebrity/adorable meme Grumpy Cat stars in her very own movie. But not every creator is in the business of adaptations. For instance, ‘Saga’ creators Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples have famously said that they didn’t want to turn their acclaimed Image Comics space opera into a blockbuster motion picture franchise or the latest hit Netflix series. However, as ‘The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase always says, “Everybody’s got a price.” It’s just sometimes that price is a collaboration with the man that took a shot on one of America’s unsung Founding Fathers.
Back in April, the New York Times interviewed Lin-Manuel Miranda of ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Moana’ fame about what he was reading. Among a number of top notch recommendations, the award-winning writer/composer/lyricist/actor/all-around great guy listed Vaughn and Staples’ ‘Saga’ as the “last great book” he read. Vulture recently interviewed the comic creators ahead of their eighth trade and upcoming story arc about “fake news and genuine terror” and alluded to Miranda’s complimentary comments. The conversation then veered towards the notion of a ‘Saga’ musical, which the pair were definitely excited about.
BKV: Yeah, I love that column about creators and books in the Times, so I was reading it myself when I saw that epic ‘Saga’ shout-out. We’ve never spoken with Mr. Miranda, but seeing ‘Hamilton’ on stage was one of the greatest experiences of my artistic life, and it’s a ridiculous honor to know he reads our work. I know I said we’re not pursuing adaptations, but if Lin-Manuel ever wants to mount a ‘Saga’ musical, it’s all his, wouldn’t you say, Fiona?
FS: Absolutely! I bet Fard has great pipes.
Obviously, Vaughn and Staples are merely speaking in hypotheticals, but it is worth noting that Miranda is a master of condensing an epic story into a manageable (and extremely emotional) viewing experience filled with amazing characters and toe-tapping songs. It would also be interesting to see how he would incorporate Lying Cat and his one-word vocabulary into a full-blown show-stopping number. But until Mr. Non-Stop gets his shot at Alana, Marko, and Hazel’s story, he’ll be plenty busy with the various projects he has in the pipeline with Disney and an adaptation of ‘The Kingkiller Chronicles’ for Showtime.
How would you feel about a ‘Saga’ musical? With Lin-Manuel Miranda involved, do you think that it would be as big a hit as ‘In The Heights’ or ‘Hamilton’? Let us know in the comments.
