The great wheel of comics IP development continues to turn. Today IDW Entertainment announced that five books published by both IDW Publishing and the Top Shelf Productions imprint are currently in development for television with various studios and streamers. Among the books hoping to make the leap from page to screen are three graphic novels from Top Shelf and two IDW titles, including one of the recently-launched IDW Originals line of creator-owned comics.
From PR, here’s a breakdown of the five books in development, and where you may be able to see each of them someday:
Dark Spaces: Wildfire (UCP), a thriller series written by Scott Snyder (celebrated writer of Batman and American Vampire) with art by Hayden Sherman (The Few, Wasted Space, Thumbs, and Old Man Logan), follows a group of female inmate firefighters deep into the smoldering California hills, where their desperate heist of a burning mansion will lead them to the score of a lifetime…or a deadly trap!
“The Delicacy” (WBTV) is a stunning graphic novel from award-winning artist and one of Scotland’s most imaginative young cartoonists, James Albon (A Shining Beacon), about rare and delicious fungi that spell trouble for an ambitious restaurateur. Tulip and his brother Rowan have left the simple comforts of their remote Scottish island with a plan: to grow succulent, organic vegetables in an idyllic market garden, and to open a restaurant serving these wholesome culinary delights to the busy sprawl of London. The world of fine dining seems impossibly competitive…until they discover a deliriously scrumptious new species of mushroom.
“Rivers” (HBO Max), created by Dan Berry and David Gaffney, is about three ordinary weirdos and one recurring dream. The acclaimed minds behind The Three Rooms in Valerie’s Head return with a whimsical and ambitious portrait of human connection in the age of digital fragmentation.
“Ballad For Sophie” (Universal International Studios), by Portuguese musician Filipe Melo and artist Juan Cavia and four-time nominee at this year’s Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, is a sweeping tale about what happens when a young journalist prompts a reclusive musical superstar to finally break his silence. Pouring out an astonishing saga of rivalry and regret, starring child prodigies, bitter old men, beautiful dancers, demonic managers, Nazi commandants, compassionate nuns and lifesaving animals, Ballad for Sophie is a stunning graphic symphony exploring a lifetime of ambition, betrayal, compassion anguish, long-buried secrets and flying pianos.
“Brutal Nature” (Ánima Studios), created by Luciano Saracino and Ariel Olivetti, Brutal Nature is about a collection of masks that transforms a young man into innumerable beasts and monsters. Using this awesome power, he embarks on a battle that pits the indigenous Mayan people against the encroaching Spanish empire. But can one man hope to beat back the massive forces of the conquering Spaniards?
Aside from Brutal Nature, it’s not immediately clear if the other adaptations will be live action or animated projects. Along with these five titles, IDW and Cartoon Network Studios are also reportedly in-development on another project, which will be revealed at a later date.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, IDW EVP of Entertainment Paul Davidson and IDW Media Holdings (under which IDW Entertainment and IDW Publishing fall) CEO Ezra Rosensaft offered their thoughts on the situation:
“The IDW and Top Shelf originals represent some of the most creative, artistic and unique stories to hit the marketplace,” said IDW Executive Vice President of Entertainment, Paul Davidson. “Not only were we excited to share this amazing slate with the industry, but we are even more thrilled to join forces with these great partners to bring them to audiences. This is just the first step in tapping our robust library of originals and adapting them into compelling series, feature films and podcasts with the industry’s leading storytellers and content creators.”
“At IDW, our commitment is to continue to build upon our legacy by having our Entertainment and Publishing divisions work in tandem to bring a wide range of projects to the masses across multiple platforms,” said Ezra Rosensaft, CEO, IDW Media Holdings. “This provides an unprecedented opportunity for our creative community to expand their IP across numerous verticals. We are also thrilled to see that some of our new Originals, launched as recently as April, are already resonating within the industry.”
How far these projects will get is always up in the air, so look for more on these in-development series as they, uh, develop.
Remember when IDW had a whole slew of shows on Netflix? Guess what? They all got cancelled with the exception of Locke & Key.
Let’s see if they have better luck this time.
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Coat
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