Mike Hammer has appeared on the screen in several iterations. From Biff Elliot in 1953s I, The Jury through to Armande Assante in I, The Jury all over again in 1982, there have been 5 feature film adaptations featuring the character, and 7 TV movies.
Now, Mickey Spillane’s iconic character is coming back to the screen again, with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto in the driving seat.
Hammer debuted in the often-adapted 1947 book I, the Jury. He is an uncompromising private investigator whose love for his secretary Velda is outweighed only by his willingness to kill a killer. Hammer’s best friend is Pat Chambers, Captain of NYPD Homicide. He was a World War II army veteran who spent two years fighting jungle warfare in the Pacific theater against Japan.
Hammer is a hard man. Brutally violent and fueled by a genuine rage against violent crime. He describes himself as a misanthrope.
So who will play this titan of retribution? Alright, alright, alright – it’s Matthew McConaughey.
This would reunite McConaughey and Pizzolatto at Skydance. If it goes well, it will become a franchise. Pizzolatto will pen the script while David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Guymon Casady, Benjamin Forkner, and Ken F. Levin produce.
McConaughey recently took a self-enforced break from feature films to explore other projects, including streaming opportunities.
Variety broke the story of Hammer’s potential return to the big screen with McConaughey in the role.
