The Hollywood Reporter says that counterculture icon Emily the Strange is on the road to the big screen, with Dark Horse Entertainment president Mike Richardson coming on board to produce a feature film that would tell the origin of the gothic figure and her four mysterious cats. Skateboarder Rob Reger created the character in the early 1990s.

"Emily's" connection with Richardson comes from the comic book line Dark Horse publishes. The company began publishing the title in 2005, with "Emily the Strange #1: Chairman of the Bored," which was followed by several other popular miniseries.

"Emily herself is very appealing little girl, there's an edge to her," Richardson said. "There is something very alluring to her image; people see it and respond to it immediately."

Richardson, who's been a producer on such films as Hellboy and its upcoming sequel as well as 30 Days of Night, said he and Reger will be looking for a filmmaker who "gets the character."

The project has not yet set-up at a studio, though Universal is a contender as Dark Horse has a first-look deal there. It has not been determined whether the movie will be live-action, animation, or a combination of the two.

In addition to the backstory and her cats, the movie will also have 13 new characters with names like Earwig, Umlaut, McFreeley and Officer Summers. The story forms the basis of an "Emily" young adult novel, which will be published next year by HarperCollins.