This last week brought an avalanche of development announcements, mostly from the streaming services. Here is the rundown of what we have tracked so far.
Animated Howard the Duck series from Kevin Smith in the works at Hulu
Network: Hulu
Credits: Kevin Smith (Writer / Executive Producer), Dave Willis (Writer / Executive Producer), Marvel Television Studios (Studio)
Starring: TBA
Description: “Howard the Duck is trapped in a world he never made, but America’s favorite fighting fowl hopes to return home with the help of his unstoppable gal pal Beverly before the evil Dr. Bong can turn him the crispiest dish on the menu.” Hollywood Reporter
Comments: This will join three other Marvel animated series MODOK, Hit-Monkey, Tigra & Dazzler and will culminate in the team-up series The Offenders.
Animated supervillain series M.O.D.O.K. on the way from Hulu
Network: Hulu
Credits: Jordan Blum (Writer / Executive Producer), Patton Oswalt (Writer / Executive Producer), Marvel Television Studios (Studio)
Starring: Patton Oswalt
Description: “M.O.D.O.K. centers around an egomaniacal supervillain with a really big head and a really little body, who struggles to maintain control of his evil organization and his demanding family.” Hollywood Reporter
Comments: This will join three other Marvel animated series Howard the Duck, Hit-Monkey, Tigra & Dazzler and will culminate in the team-up series The Offenders.
Animated Marvel series Hit-Monkey on the way to Hulu
Network: Hulu
Credits: Josh Gordon (Writer / Executive Producer), Will Speck (Writer / Executive Producer), Marvel Television Studios (Studio)
Starring: TBA
Description: “Hit-Monkey tells the tale of a wronged Japanese snow monkey, mentored by the ghost of an American assassin, as he cuts a wide swath through the Tokyo underworld in this darkly cinematic and brutally funny revenge saga.” Hollywood Reporter
Comments: This will join three other Marvel animated series Howard the Duck, MODOK, Tigra & Dazzler and will culminate in the team-up series The Offenders.
Tigra and The Dazzler will lead adult animated series on Marvel
Network: Hulu
Credits: Erica Rivinoja (Writer / Executive Producer), Chelsea Handler (Writer / Executive Producer), Marvel Television Studios (Studio)
Starring: TBA
Description: “Tigra & Dazzler Show is a story about two woke superheroes and best friends, Tigra and Dazzler, as they fight for recognition among powered people who make up the eight million stories in Los Angeles.” Hollywood Reporter
Comments: This will join three other Marvel animated series Howard the Duck, MODOK, Hit-Monkey and will culminate in the team-up series The Offenders.
The Offenders will bring together Hulu’s other animated Marvel characters
Network: Hulu
Credits: Jeph Loeb (Executive Producer), Marvel Television Studios (Studio)
Starring: TBA
Description: “The Offenders follows MODOK, Dazzler, Tigra, Hit Monkey and Howard the Duck as they are all forced to team up in order to save the world and certain parts of the universe.” Hollywood Reporter
Comments: This bring together the characters from Hulu’s other adult animated Marvel shows Howard the Duck, MODOK, Hit-Monkey and Tigra & Dazzler.
BBC Studios is adapting Michael Moorcock’s Runestaff books
Network: BBC
Credits: Steve Thompson (Writer / Executive Producer), Richard Stokes (Executive Producer), BBC Studios (Studio)
Starring: TBA
Description: “The books tell the story of a resistance force trying to bring down tyrannical rule and follow Hawkmoon, whose journey takes him from ghost-cities in the Syrian desert to pirate colonies in the American bayou; from caravans of mutant creatures in Carpathian mountains to the heart of the Dark Empire itself – the glittering city of Londra where the river runs blood red.” Deadline Hollywood
Comments: There is no word on whether BBC will try to partner with another network or streaming service on this high profile production. It will likely be 2020 at the earliest before this hits the small screen
Annapurna Television is adapting the fantasy books The Ruin Of Kings
Network: TBA
Credits: Annapurna Television (Production Company)
Starring: TBS
Description: “The Ruin of Kings follows the story of Khirin, a young thief who discovers he may be the son of a prince and involved in a complex prophecy where he is more valuable alive than dead.” Deadline Hollywood
Comments: This is based on the fantasy book series by Jenn Lyons. No network is attached at this point, but the project should draw some interest.
HBO and J.J. Abrams developing They Both Die At The End
Network: HBO
Credits: J.J. Abrams (Executive Producer), Chris Kelly (Executive Producer), Bad Robot (Production Company)
Starring: TBA
Description: “They Both Die at the End is set in the near-future where everyone receives a bureaucratic phone call notifying them at the start of their last day on Earth. It follows a seemingly disparate group of people as they live their scary, funny, weird, hopeful, romantic, and unexpected final hours, all connected through the two teenage boys at the heart of the novel.” Deadline Hollywood
Comments: This is based on Adam Silvera’s book of the same name and HBO will likely be targeting late-2019 or early-2020 to get it on the schedule.
Amazon is developing the Indian supernatural drama The Last Hour
Network: Amazon Prime Video
Credits: Amit Kumar (Creator / Executive Producer), Asif Kapadia (Executive Producer)
Starring: TBA
Description: “The Last Hour is a crime thriller with a supernatural twist set in a small picturesque hill station in the Himalayas.” Deadline Hollywood
Comments: This will be filmed and produced in India and will run with English subtitles in the U.S.
Amazon is working on an untitled sci fi / horror Mexican Prime Original
Network: Amazon Prime Video
Credits: Dynamo (Production Company), Red Creek Productions (Production Company)
Starring: TBA
Description: “This exciting new series takes viewers through a rollercoaster horror story with high doses of suspense and dark humor throughout an apocalyptic battle of epic proportions.” Deadline Hollywood
Comments: This will be filmed and produced in Mexico and will run with English subtitles in the U.S.
Nickelodeon is working on a Star Trek series geared for kids with
Network: Nickelodeon
Credits: Alex Kurtzman (Executive Producer)
Starring: TBA
Description: “The new animated series would target younger viewers.” Hollywood Reporter
Comments: There are very few details available on this one at the moment, but stay tuned for further developments.
Netflix is producing the Dutch horror series Ares
Network: Netflix
Credits: Pieter Kuijpers (Creator / Executive Producer), Giancarlo Sanchez (Director / Executive Producer), Pupkin (Production Company)
Starring: Jade Olieberg, Tobias Kersloot, Lisa Smit, Robin Boissevain, and Frieda Barnhard
Description: “The series enters the world of a secret student society in the heart of Amsterdam where best friends Rosa and Jacob surrender to a world of wealth and power. Soon they start to realize they’ve entered a demonic place, built on secrets from the country’s past.” Variety
Comments: This will run in the U.S. with English subtitles and will debut later this year.
SF Studios working on adaptation of Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Network: TBA
Credits: Wikström Nicastro (Executive Producer), SF Studios (Studio)
Starring: TBA
Description: “The science-fiction series will follow a group of young scientists working at a startup who discover the first sentient artificial intelligence and envision ways in which it could be used to create a better world, which leads to a clash of ideals and morals.” Variety
Comments: This is based on Max Tegmark’s 2017 best-selling novel. No network is currently attached to the project.
The TCAs are going on currently when the networks talk with the critics about their current and upcoming schedules, so expect breaking news relating to Sci Fi TV over the next week or so. Be sure to stay tuned to this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news as well as the latest ratings results.
