Creator Todd McFarlane has been talking about a new Spawn movie for what seems like forever now, but the project finally inched closer to reality earlier this year when it was announced that Blumhouse will produce McFarlane’s long-gestating passion project.

McFarlane wrote the script and is directing the film, which he promises will be dark and most definitely rated R.

Via Deadline today, McFarlane has provided an update on the project at New York Comic Con, revealing that Spawn will go into pre-production after Christmas, ahead of a February 2018 production start. He also promises to share daily updates from the set on his Facebook page.

“It’s going to be dark,” McFarlane again noted. “I will have a shark in black water… and if you’re swimming he will come and you’ll be gone and he will fuck you up.”

McFarlane added, with confidence, “I’m spending my own money so who cares if it doesn’t work out. It’s a $10 million budget movie, and (a studio) would just get a 22-year-old punk director. I just want to be the old punk directing it.“