John Cusack has not abandoned acting, but the High Fidelity star has become far more selective about appearing in movies. His first graphic novel helps explain why.
While promoting Momo at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, Cusack said the project gave him something increasingly difficult to find within the traditional film business, the freedom to tell a story without negotiating every creative decision with executives, financiers or marketing committees.
Cusack wrote the book and collaborated with Argentine artist Ignacio Noé, who created its illustrations. The actor described the process as an “anti-algorithm” experience.
Cusack Wanted to Tell a Story Without Negotiating Every Decision
“I thought, I wanna tell a story, but I didn’t wanna negotiate telling a story, really,” Cusack told PEOPLE. He acknowledged that feature-film financing comes with practical compromises. When investors place $20 million or $30 million into a production, he said, they understandably expect to influence how the money is used.
Momo offered a different experience. Cusack wrote the story, chose Noé as his collaborator and retained control over the material. “Nobody edited anything I wrote or that he drew,” Cusack said. “It was just me and Ignacio’s story, and that doesn’t happen today.” He added: “There’s no bull, and there’s no committee. There’s no computer up in Seattle that’s poll testing it.”
Graphic Novels Felt Like the Closest Alternative to Film
Cusack said he had long considered graphic novels one of the storytelling formats most closely connected to filmmaking. “You’re picking out shots, they’re so cinematic,” he explained.
Momo marks his graphic-novel debut, although it is not his first published writing project. Cusack previously collaborated with author Arundhati Roy on the 2016 political essay collection Things That Can and Cannot Be Said.
‘Momo’ Sends Two Fugitives on a Cosmic Road Trip
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Set in 1972, Momo follows two criminals fleeing their pasts who form an uneasy partnership and accept a mission connected to television legend Jackie Gleason. The pair must deliver a mysterious ancient artifact while traveling through a crumbling version of the American Dream.
Their journey brings them into contact with demon-possessed monsters, occult performers, mystical beings and secrets involving extraterrestrial technology. Mad Cave Studios describes the book as a mixture of road story, theological noir, cosmic horror and pulpy science-fiction absurdity.
The premise draws partly on Gleason’s documented fascination with UFOs and stories surrounding his friendship with President Richard Nixon. Cusack also incorporated political satire, conspiracy mythology and figures including French playwright Antonin Artaud.
Cusack Has Not Ruled Out Returning to the Screen
Cusack’s shift toward writing does not mean his acting career has formally ended. He appeared in the 2025 films Fog of War and Detective Chinatown 1900 after starring in the Chinese war thriller Decoded in 2024.
He said he would be interested in playing a role in a film version of Momo if the graphic novel attracted a large enough audience to secure studio financing. Momo is scheduled for publication by Mad Cave Studios on Sept. 29.