Multiple award-winning publisher Boom! Studios has signed a first-look deal with Netflix to produce live-action and animated series. Netflix won out after a “prolonged negotiation” during which other outlets also courted the publisher. Boom!’s catalog is considered one of the largest outside of Marvel and DC’s.
Netflix vp of originals stated (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“Boom! characters are innately special — they’re colorful, diverse and varied, and their stories have the power to ignite something in all of us. We can’t wait to bring these stories from the page to the screen to fans in every corner of the world.”
Boom! Studios founder and CEO Ross Richie added:
“We generate 20-plus new original series a year and are thrilled to partner with a company that is as prolific as we are. Boom!’s unique partnership model of controlling the media rights to our library benefits creators by positioning them to be packaged with high-end directors, screenwriters, and producers. We’re thrilled to continue our track record of translating our best-selling, award-winning library with the best TV talent in the business, but now with the undisputed leader of the new streaming era.”
Richie will oversee all projects along with development president Stephen Christy.
Last year, Boom! Studios produced a comic book series based on the Netflix original series ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’, and in the works is a comic based on David F. Sandberg’s upcoming original movie ‘The Unsound’.
Boom! publishes comics based in nearly all genres including superhero, action-adventure, fantasy, science fiction, horror, crime, comedy, mystery, science fantasy, dark fantasy, and thriller, and for a wide range of readers from kids to young adults to adults-only. Among Boom!’s top titles are ‘Lumberjanes’, ‘Something Is Killing the Children’, ‘Once & Future’, and ‘Mouse Guard’.
Boom! previously had a first-look deal with 20th Century Fox, which was geared more toward crafting theatrical films. As part of that deal, ‘Lumberjanes’ and ‘Mouse Guard’ were in development, but after the studio was bought out by Disney, those plans were scrapped.
‘Lumberjanes’ was co-written by Noelle Stevenson who created Netflix’s hit animated series ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’.
Netflix previously had a deal in place with Marvel Entertainment, which resulted in the hit shows ‘Daredevil’, ‘Jessica Jones’, ‘Luke Cage’, ‘Iron Fist’, ‘The Defenders’, and ‘The Punisher’, but that agreement ended as Disney moved into competition, becoming the full owner of Hulu and launching Disney+.
Netflix already has a deal in place with Dark Horse comics and completely purchased Mark Millar’s Millarworld. Dark Horse published the comic book version of Netflix’s hit series ‘The Umbrella Academy’. The first project from Millarworld will be ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ which was filmed last summer, but has not yet been scheduled. A 2018 deal with Rob Liefeld to create projects based on his Extreme Studios comics fell apart due to creative differences.
Outside of Netflix, Boom! has over 20 projects in development with Amazon, HBO Max, Peacock, CBS All Access, and Disney+. In addition to ‘The Dark Crystal’, among the licensed comics that Boom! has published are ‘Adventure Time’, ‘Angel’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, ‘Big Trouble in Little China’, ‘Bill & Ted’, ‘Firefly’, ‘Labyrinth’, ‘The Magicians’, ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’, ‘RoboCop’, and ‘Steven Universe’.
Are you a fan of Boom! Studios’ comics? Which would you like to see adapted into series on Netflix?
