Actor John Cusack said his graphic novel “Momo” gave him creative freedom outside Hollywood’s studio system during an interview at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 24.
Cusack told Variety that he chose the format because graphic novels offered cinematic storytelling without the negotiations required to finance a film.
Film studios and investors usually seek influence over projects when they provide budgets of $20 million or $30 million, he said. Cusack wanted to preserve his original story rather than change it to satisfy outside decision-makers.
John Cusack says he started playing video games "to figure out what happened to film":
"I got through all of 'Control' and 'Callisto Protocol.'" #ComicCon
Variety Studio presented by @madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/5L5a9BXXv7
— Variety (@Variety) July 24, 2026The “High Fidelity” actor wrote “Momo,” while Argentine artist Ignacio Noé created its illustrations. Cusack said nobody edited their work or altered the project through a studio committee.
“There’s no bull, and there’s no committee,” Cusack said, according to People. He described the collaboration as an “anti-algorithm” project produced on the creators’ terms.
Mad Cave Studios is publishing the 256-page graphic novel. Taylor Esposito serves as its letterer.
Read: Jason Momoa Leaves Helldivers Film Adaptation
The story follows two fugitives who form an uneasy alliance during a 1972 road trip. They must recover an ancient artefact for television entertainer Jackie Gleason while encountering extraterrestrial technology, occult characters and supernatural forces.
Cusack said he would consider starring in a film adaptation if readers supported the graphic novel and a studio approved the project.
