Another gun-slinging, ass-kicking anti-heroine has arrived on the scene. “Girl With No Name,” a woman-driven Western comic universe, was unveiled at New York Comic Con on Friday. A 40-page comic book to be published in spring was announced, as was a film adaptation directed by Tanya Wexler (“Hysteria”).
“Girl With No Name” centers on a nameless young woman who was orphaned at five years old, and taken in by her ex-Confederate soldier turned bounty hunter uncle. As she grows up, The Girl develops her sharpshooting skills and continuously demands her uncle take revenge on the people who killed her parents. Eventually The Uncle comes to love The Girl as his own daughter. “But just when The Uncle is about to hang up his gun for good, a band of outlaws murders him and burns their ranch, leaving The Girl, now 18, for dead in their burning house,” a press releases synopsizes. “But The Girl survives the fire and now, orphaned once again, has only one drive — vengeance. With no one willing to go after the outlaws, The Girl grabs her gun — taking justice into her own hands.”
Dave Elliott (“Weirding Willows”) developed the comic, which hails from Legion M. Tula Lotay (“Supreme: Blue Rose”) is designing the book’s cover, while Dani Strips (“2000 AD”) is handling the interior art.
The “Girl With No Name” film is written by Alex Ranarivelo (“Dirt,” “Ride”). Co-Op Entertainment, founded by Wexler and Laura Ivey, is producing. Legion M will serve as exec producer. Co-Op and Legion M are currently seeking financing and distribution for the project.
“We are thrilled to bring ‘Girl With No Name’ to life – both as a feature film and in the pages of a revolutionary comic book led by a group of incredibly brilliant artists, and we’re proud to have the franchise star a strong female lead developed by a team of extremely talented women,” said Terri Lubaroff, Legion M’s COO and head of content.
“’Girl With No Name’ exceeds a passion project: it is an empowering narrative that needs to be told,” added Wexler and Ivey. “We cannot wait to bring The Girl to the big screen, and we’re excited to be teaming with Legion M and its passionate fan-owners on this very special endeavor.”
Wexler most recently helmed eps of “The Arrangement” and “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.” She’s probably best know for directing “Hysteria,” a Victorian England-set romantic comedy about the invention of the vibrator. Her latest film, “Buffaloed,” stars Zoey Deutch as a hustler and debt collector doing whatever it takes to get out of Buffalo, NY. Currently in post-production, it’s expected to open next year.
“With each film, there are a couple of big salient lessons I’ve learned,” Wexler told us. “The first film [‘Finding North’] was about getting the script perfect. The second lesson is about having great actors who can punch through the crazy noise that fills all of our lives. But the real lesson is finding a film that is your voice. I think my first tiny movie was in my voice. My second film [‘Ball in the House’], which I’m really proud of, was a bit more in the writer’s voice,” she explained. “And when [‘Hysteria’] showed up as an idea — I knew I had to do it. Whatever my voice was, and I wasn’t sure what it was, I just I had to do it.”
