As popular as it’s said to be, it does feel as though Necroscope might actually need to stretch itself across multiple formats in order to really push the idea that it’s something that is worth taking a look at. Many people might know a little bit about it, as the books have been fairly prominent in book stores since the 80s, but as of now, there have been so many different supernatural stories that have been pushed that it’s fair to think that some folks are of the mind that many are too much alike. The truth of it is that Necroscope, which is essentially a person that can talk to the dead without any negative reaction, is a story that can stand on its own and be compelling without any help. To be honest, the story is quite compelling and goes into such great depth that in the right hands it should be able to tell itself, but there are a few caveats when bringing a new horror-based movie out, especially when one is ambitious enough to think that it can be spread across multiple formats.
If this were a new and untested story it’s easy to think that it might not be trotted out so easily as this with the idea of going to the movies, TV shows, books, video games, and so on and so forth. But the story by Bryan Lumley has been around for a while and it’s something that many people have had the chance to read and been impressed by. If anything, it feels as though this story should have been brought to bear a while ago and given its just due. The downside of show business though is that just about everyone that writes a story thinks that theirs deserves to be developed into a TV show or big feature. The downside is that what they might think is a great and unique story is something that other people have seen over and over, and it’s failed to be impressive after a while.
Then there’s the idea of how much staying power a story has, and even Necroscope will be tested in this since like it or not, there have been many supernatural stories that have become popular over the years, and many of them have featured vampires, ghosts, and all sorts of creatures and villains. There’s nothing to say that it won’t be a hit, but it’s walking into a landscape that has already been riddled with one supernatural tale after another, and the story will have to rely on the in-depth characteristics that many have praised over the years in order to survive through one format. It might be that Necroscope will perform fine in one format and not another, but the ambition that’s there to take it across so many different formats is interesting since one might think it would be safer to try one format and then move on from there. But then again, going big could be the saving grace that this idea will need, since going big could be what will get the most attention from those that will see this as the next big thing and latch onto it.
It does feel as though the brakes should be applied just a bit, but then again, I’m not in charge and don’t know enough about it in order to say that it will or won’t be a success. The story already sounds great, the possibilities are there, and the likelihood that the project will be a success isn’t a guarantee, but it definitely has a great deal of promise to it. Ideas have seen their way across multiple formats in the past and it hasn’t been that big of a deal, so it’s fair to state that Necroscope has a fair chance to do something that might be kind of impressive, but it’s still wise to think that it’s going to have a bit of an uphill struggle to get there. There are many stories that have been around for decades that didn’t quite pan out and are being tried again, but the success of each one is never a sure thing, at least until it’s seen that people happen to like what they’re being given.
Perhaps another aspect of this that makes a person a bit leery is the continued hype that will be given to the series before it ever comes out. If it’s well-deserved then so be it, but if it’s the type of empty, prophetic hype that is based on word of mouth and not much fact then it’s smart to be cautious when moving forward. So many stories have been said to be great and ground-breaking and capable of creating new experiences and new worlds that people will find breathtaking that such words have become red flags that are only safe to follow once an idea proves itself to be worthwhile.
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