Frank Miller’s graphic-novel-now-turned-movie, The Spirit, has finally got a release date tentatively set.  I don’t think we could accurately say that the date is set in stone with it being so far off.  Nevertheless, Lionsgate announced today that The Spirit will premiere in theaters on January 16, 2009.  That means we’ve still got well over a year wait if everything goes smoothly and the film’s production isn’t hampered by any of the impending Hollywood strikes.

The classic Will Eisner comic strip is being adapted for movie-going audiences, and will be directed by Frank Miller.   Casting has already begun, with several stars already confirmed.  Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, and Gabriel Macht have been signed on.

This fantasy thriller tells the tale of a rookie cop who returns from the dead to fight crime as the Spirit from the shadows of Central City.  Filming is scheduled to begin in October of this year.