In this film publicity image
released by Touchstone Pictures, Bruce Willis is shown in a scene from,
"Surrogates." (AP Photo/Touchstone Pictures-Disney, Stephen Vaughan)GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) -- Great Falls native Brett Weldele, who five years ago illustrated a graphic novel called "The Surrogates," has been invited to this week's premiere of the movie based on the novel.
In the movie "Surrogates," Bruce Willis portrays an FBI agent dealing with robotic avatars -- creatures filling in for the people who control them -- in a future world.
The movie opens Friday after the premiere Thursday at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.
Disney-Touchstone optioned the rights to the comic book.
"There's a real boom with comic properties being optioned," said Weldele, 32.
Weldele, who graduated from Great Falls High in 1995 and lives in Portland, Ore., knew the odds of "The Surrogates" becoming a Hollywood film still were long.
Thousands of comics are optioned, but only a small number actually become movies.
"Having this happen is the equivalent to winning the lottery," Weldele said.
Weldele watched some early filming in Boston.
"It's crazy," Weldele said. "When we visited the set, there were 200 people working at this thing. We got to watch Bruce do his thing, which was pretty awesome."
Both Weldele and novelist Robert Venditti receive a film credit stating that the movie was based on their graphic novel.
Venditti and Weldele have put out a prequel to "Surrogates," called "Flesh and Bone," in which the surrogates are being test-marketed. It is set in 2039, 15 years before "Surrogates."
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