Powers Comic Book Optioned

March 20, 2014

If you’re a multi-billion dollar entertainment company, it seems the hottest thing to do these days is produce original television. Sony is the latest to jump onto the Netflix bandwagon, announcing today that it will produce an adaptation of cult comic book series Powers as its first series. It will likely be exclusively available to PlayStation owners and “of premium cable quality,” according to Deadline. That means high production values, 10 episodes per season and plenty of cursing, violence, and nudity.

This is welcome news for any and all fans of Powers, a title that seemed custom-made for television but struggled for years in development hell at FX. Set in a world where superpowers are common and costumed heroes patrol the streets of Chicago, it’s centered around two not-super detectives who investigate crimes relating to those with powers. The guy, Christian Walker, used to be a costumed superhero before losing his abilities, and the gal, Deena Pilgrim, is his new partner.

Sony optioned the book, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Michael Avon Oeming, way back in 2001. A pilot was filmed for FX in 2011 starring Jason Patric and Lucy Punch (fans clamored at the time for two cult TV stars whose shows had recently concluded, Kyle Chandler and Katee Sackhoff). It wasn’t picked up, but new scripts were written and the project was still being considered by FX as late as 2013. Sony has now migrated it over to this new initiative.

Courtesy of http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/03/playstations-are-getting-their-own-tv-shows-and-theyre-starting-rejected-fx-pilot-powers/359384/

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Posted in Comics Optioned