Top Cow at the Moo-vies

"Witchblade," the Top Cow comicbook series about a female police detective who discovers an ancient weapon, is on its way to the big screen in a pair of pics that will film back to back. Pics will be financed and produced under a just-struck deal between Platinum Studios, IDG Films and Relativity Media. No writer or director has been attached. Platinum chairman Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who brought "Men in Black" to the big screen, will produce along with Ryan Kavanaugh and Lynwood Spinks of Relativity and Steve Squillante and David Lee of IDG. Platinum is producing through its partnership with Top Cow, a division of Image Comics founded by comicbook artist Marc Silvestri, who will exec produce the pics along with Arclight's Gary Hamilton and Harrison Kordestani. Shooting is expected to begin next year in China. "Witchblade" previously was a live-action skein that ran from 2000-2001 on TNT and starred Yancey Butler.

Meanwhile, Platinum and partner Blue Star have hired the Pang brothers to helm a feature version of its other big Top Cow's comicbook property, "The Darkness." The brothers, Oxide and Danny, most recently worked on the thriller/horror pic "The Messenger," due for release next year. Miramax has an option ont the pic for its Dimension arm, but the departure of founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein from the company raises questions about whether the company will renew its rights, which expire at the end of January. Platinum and Blue Star are ready to finance the picture on themselves should the option expire.

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