Update: Dead of Night, the feature film based on Tiziano Sclavi’s Dylan Dog comic book series, will get a theatrical release, despite some speculation that it would not.  The film (see “From Superman to Dylan Dog”), which stars Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) and was directed by Kevin Munroe (TMNT), has finished shooting in New Orleans and is slated to be released in North America in the spring of 2010, though no date has been set.

Brian Kronner’s contention on BamKapow that Dead of Night was going straight to disc didn't jibe with Routh’s recent interview with the MTV Splashpage where he said that although Sclavi’s Italian horror comic would probably be rated “R,” “we’re going for a ‘PG-13’ so more people can enjoy the film.”  Why go for a PG-13 rating if the project is going to direct to DVD?  BamKapow later retracted the incorrect speculation.

The Dead of Night film should bring greater awareness here in North America to Sclavi’s high adventure horror comics, which have sold over 56 million copies worldwide.  In April Dark Horse Comics released the mammoth 680-page Dylan Dog Casefiles, which is a great introduction to the exploits of the internationally famous comic book character.