Here at Moonbase Alpha, one of our very favourite people to catch up with every now and again is the fascinating Mark Millar. With Netflix having acquired Millar’s Millarworld last year, we’ve now got word on the first slate of Millarworld properties that the on-demand streaming service will be adapting.
A modern-day comic book favourite of many a genre fan, Millar is best known as the man behind huge big-name arcs such as Superman: Red Son, Civil War and Old Man Logan, while he’s also created amazing properties such as Wanted, Kick-Ass, The Secret Service, Nemesis, Starlight, Superior, Huck and far more than we could list here. In addition to that, of course, Millar has also worked as a creative consultant for 20th Century Fox for the past few years, too.
The first batch of Millarworld properties to be brought to life as Netflix movies and TV shows have now been confirmed as Jupiter’s Legacy, American Jesus, Empress, Huck, and Sharkey the Bounty Hunter. Jupiter’s Legacy and American Jesus will be fleshed out as live-action TV series, while the latter three properties are going to be given movie adaptations.
On this news, Millar himself enthused, “My wife Lucy and I are eleven months into our jobs at Netflix and it’s everything we hoped for to the power of ten. To see a movie based on your work every couple of years is incredibly exciting, but to see them all happening at once like this and with talent this high-end is just off the scale. These are writers and directors I’ve privately been sending fan-mail to over the last eighteen months, so to be working with them all is just enormously exciting. This really is the greatest creative environment I’ve ever worked in. I can’t wait to switch on my computer every morning.”
The official word on the upcoming original series efforts reads:
Jupiter’s Legacy
A multi-generational American superhero epic, Jupiter’s Legacy follows the world’s first generation of superheroes who received their powers in the 1930’s. In present day they are the revered elder guard, but their superpowered children struggle to live up to the legendary feats of their parents. Steven S. DeKnight (Marvel’s Daredevil, Spartacus, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who recently signed an overall deal with Netflix, will serve as showrunner and executive producer, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Dan McDermott also serving as executive producers for the series. DeKnight will also direct the first episode.
American Jesus
Multilingual (Spanish/English) series American Jesus follows a twelve-year-old boy who suddenly discovers he’s returned as Jesus Christ. He can turn water into wine, make the crippled walk, and, perhaps, even raise the dead! How will he deal with the destiny to lead the world in a conflict thousands of years in the making? Everardo Gout (Marvel’s Luke Cage, Sacred Lies, Mars, Banshee, Aqui En La Tierra) and Leopoldo Gout (Molly’s Game, Instinct) will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers on the series. Everardo Gout will also direct.
As for the movie projects in development, the official blurb on those reads as follows:
Empress
Queen Emporia is married to (literally) the worst dictator in the galaxy, King Morax. After escaping his palace with her children, Emporia and her family, must hide from Morax and his army at all costs — even if it takes teleporting from planet to planet to avoid them. Writer Lindsey Beer (Kingkiller Chronicle and the upcoming Sierra Burgess is a Loser for Netflix and Wizards of Once for DreamWorks Animation) is adapting the comic book into a feature film, with Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum (The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, Maleficent) set to produce.
Huck
In a quiet seaside town, Huck uses his special gifts to do a good deed each day. His neighbors return the favors by keeping his abilities a secret. But when a newcomer alerts the media, a firestorm erupts, sending Huck on an adventure that will change everything. Ted Melfi (Hidden Figures, St. Vincent) is adapting the comic book into a feature film, with Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe set to produce.
Sharkey the Bounty Hunter
Set in a brilliant new sci-fi universe, Sharkey is a blue-collar bounty-hunter tracking criminals across the galaxy in his converted, rocket-powered ice-cream truck. Aided and abetted by his ten-year-old partner, he’s out for the biggest bounty of his career. Sharkey the Bounty Hunter will be adapted and published as a Millarworld/Netflix comic next year and writer Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 21 Jump Street) is writing the screenplay for the feature film.
According to Netflix, the current plan is for American Jesus and Sharkey the Bounty Hunter to premiere in 2020, and Jupiter’s Legacy to premiere in 2021. The on-demand streaming service has yet to give an indication on when we can expect to see Empress and Huck, however.
As ever, expect more on all of these movies and shows as they continue to develop. One thing’s for certain, there’s so much potential in all of these – so we absolutely cannot wait to see what Mark, Lucy, Netflix, and all involved can do with these projects!
