I kid about The Wrestler, but I do think Mickey Rourke would be perfect for this…

El Zombo Fantasma is a comic from Dark Horse that has just hit the fast track for big screen treatment from Death Ray Films and Maya Entertainment. Bloody Disgusting reports that Kevin Munroe (TMNT) will be writing and directing the film based on the comic he co-created with David Wilkins. The press release gives the following plot synopsis.

The story follows the mysterious murder of the world’s most notorious Mexican wrestler who bargains his way out of an eternity of fiery damnation by returning to Los Angeles to play guardian angel to a troublesome teen, Belisa Montoya. He soon discovers that the teen is not what she seems and that their fates have been intertwined for centuries.”

The plan is to introduce El Zombo Fantasma via a feature film before expanding the character and storyline with an animated series. Producer Robert Sanchez is very excited about the film, saying “As a Cuban-American in this industry, I see El Zombo as a unique property that will not only showcase Latinos but also appeal to all audiences. It has action, romance, redemption and wrestling, it’s a Latin Hellboy. It’s the prefect date movie!”

When asked about potential casting, Munroe agrees that The Rock is the first name that comes to mind, but acknowledges that the odds are slim that he would take on a wrestling movie. Instead, he’s weighing the possibility of featuring a real WWE star. (I recently argued that Rourke’s “resurrection” will consist solely of genre fare, so that combined with the recent news that he’ll be appearing at Wrestlemania 25 makes him perfect for this role!)

Munroe is a busy guy these days with at a handful of other films in various stages of production needing to be completed before he can enter the ring with the undead wrestler. He’s still attached to direct Dead Of Night (based on the same Dylan Dog comics that inspired Cemetery Man) but has handed similar duties on War Monkeys to someone else.

Have you read the comic? Will it make a good movie? Should Rourke return to the ring?