While the superhero entertainment genre has lately been dominated by the likes of Marvel and DC, it looks like Netflix is set to expand its television offerings with classic works from another industry heavy hitter.

Specifically, Netflix has officially announced its plans to develop a live-action adaptation of Umbrella Academy for 2018, as part of a deal recently made between Universal Cable Productions and comic publisher Dark Horse Entertainment.

Official Poster. Source: Netflix

Umbrella Academy is a cult classic created by Gabriel Ba and My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way. The live-action adaptation of the comic series will feature 10 episodes in its first season, with Steve Blackman of Fargo-fame serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside co-executive producer Way. Several members from Dark Horse, such as comics publisher Mike Richardson and senior VP of production Keith Goldberg, will also play key roles in the show’s production.

Finally, to round out the all-star crew, the pilot script will be adapted by writer and producer Jeremy Slater. Slater’s recent work includes the script for the 2015 Fantastic Four film, as well as the recently renewed FOX show The Exorcist.

Considerations for live-action adaptations of Dark Horse comics were first announced between the two media organizations in 2015, though it was believed this initial interest was for naught following two years of silence on the project.

Now, along with Umbrella Academy, Universal Cable Productions will produce three other comic series sometime in the near future: Harrow County, Back Up and Concrete.

Umbrella Academy follows an estranged, dysfunctional family of superheroes as they try to solve their father’s mysterious death. For those unfamiliar with the comic, its main characters include superheroes such as the Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Horror, and the White Violin – just to give you an idea of the sort of powers and potential conflicts that the plot explores.

It is this uniqueness that first piqued Netflix’s interest in the series, as Netflix’s VP of originals Cindy Holland stated in an official press release:

“What drew us to The Umbrella Academy is that it’s wholly unique, visual and stylized. These aren’t the usual superheroes, and this series will embrace the singular tone of the graphic novels — dark yet humorous, supernatural yet grounded in reality. We’re excited to see this world and introduce these unforgettable heroes to Netflix members around the globe.”

Have you read Umbrella Academy, and if so are you excited about the Netflix adaptation? Are there any other Dark Horse comics you would prefer seeing on the little screen? Let us know your thoughts!

Source: Screen Rant

Published by Paige Allen

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