by Andy Khouri, Staff Writer
Posted: November 15, 2007

“This is the single greatest opportunity I’ve ever had as an actor, I can’t even describe how fortunate I feel to be here, it’s mind-bloggling” said Gabriel Macht, the performer who’ll bring to life on screen one of the comics page’s most venerable masked, crimefighting heroes in “Will Eisner’s The Spirit.” CBR News was privileged to speak with the actor earlier this week on the 27th day of shooting on the film’s set in Albuquerque, NM, where Macht had just finished shooting a scene in which he as Denny Colt — aka The Spirit — utterly clobbers his archenemy The Octopus (in the form of Samuel L. Jackson).

Seeing the action with one’s own eyes, it is impossible to tell where or when in the film the scene takes place. The soundstage at Albuquerque Studios is occupied by little more than a handful of production staff; a camera; two actors; one or two reporters, obviously; and a startlingly enormous amount of green screens surrounding the gymnasium-sized space in all directions. Fortunately, there are a number of storyboards pinned up around set that give guests a clearer picture of what’s going on in the scene. Even more fortunately, they’re all drawn by Frank Miller.

Set for a January 2009 release by Lionsgate Entertainment, “The Spirit” is written and directed by Frank Miller, himself one of modern comics’ most revered icons and a devoted fan, protege and dear friend of Will Eisner. “It’s a real privilege [to be directing ‘The Spirit’],” Miller told CBR News. “I’m in love with the material and doing my best to be fair to it.” “This is the single greatest opportunity I’ve ever had as an actor, I can’t even describe how fortunate I feel to be here, it’s mind-bloggling” said Gabriel Macht, the performer who’ll bring to life on screen one of the comics page’s most venerable masked, crimefighting heroes in “Will Eisner’s The Spirit.” CBR News was privileged to speak with the actor earlier this week on the 27th day of shooting on the film’s set in Albuquerque, NM, where Macht had just finished shooting a scene in which he as Denny Colt — aka The Spirit — utterly clobbers his archenemy The Octopus (in the form of Samuel L. Jackson).