According to today's Hollywood Reporter MGM has optioned the film rights for Steve Niles' Dark Horse Comic series, Criminal Macabre.  Niles, who will pocket a 'mid-six against low-seven' figure payment, previously sold the rights to his Thirty Days of Night series, published by IDW (see '30 Days Of Night Optioned') to Senator International.  The first issue in the five-part Dark Horse Criminal Macabre series, which features the supernatural private eye, Cal MacDonald, sold out quickly after its mid-May release.  The alacrity with which MGM snapped up Criminal Macabre demonstrates Hollywood's increasing interest in new comic book properties.  With its horror elements and supernatural overtones Criminal Macabre is much more of a dark film noir fantasy than a typical superhero book.  MGM's option also gives the studio the rights to other comic series featuring Cal MacDonald, including Savage Membrane and Guns, Drugs, and Monsters.

Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson will serve as a producer on the Criminal Macabre film and Niles will write the screenplay.  Another Dark Horse series with heavy paranormal overtones, Mike Mignola's Hellboy is currently in production and is slated to be released on Memorial Day weekend in 2004 (see 'Hellboy Movie To Debut On Memorial Day Weekend').