Most of comics’ most popular superheroes and supervillains have become so well known, it’s time to just play around with their basic elements to tell good stories. It doesn’t matter if it’s “in canon,” what matters is the characters are used well to tell a truth entertainingly. Fan films have been doing this for a while, and more and more we’re seeing high quality, professional-grade films that would fit right in on a streaming service like DC Universe. And I’ll go out on a limb that since writer/director Leah McKendrick already has work slated for HBO Max, Pamela & Ivy: The Poison Ivy Origin Story could be slotted into the upcoming DC anthology series Strange Adventures with no problem.
With producer Mariah Owen, McKendrick has told a compelling, if a little compressed, story about Pamela Isley, the girl who grows up to occasionally terrorize Gotham City as Poison Ivy. But though it ends in villainy, it’s a story of tragedy and loneliness. And they got Eric Roberts to take a role.
Enjoy.
I interviewed Leah and Mariah here.
For another terrific fan film — check out Venom: Truth in Journalism from a few years back.
