Netflix is already in the business of comic adaptations with their various Marvel series, the new series The End of the F***ing World, and the upcoming Umbrella Academy, but they’re doubling down on it now. Deadline reports that the streaming giant has picked up the rights to Rob Liefeld’s Extreme Universe.
It was previously reported that Graham King and Fundamental Films were in the process of shepherding the project to the big screen, however that deal was never finalized and now Netflix has stepped in. As previously reported, Akiva Goldsman and Weed Road plan to flesh out story ideas for individual movies in the series, following the same writers room strategy that Goldsman brought to the Transformers franchise and Paramount’s upcoming Ology series. Goldsman, Liefeld and Brooklyn Weaver will produce.
“Rob Liefeld’s Extreme Universe features gritty stories and distinctive characters,” said Netflix feature film chief Scott Stuber. “Akiva’s creative voice has been behind some of the largest movie franchises, making him uniquely capable of halping bring these superheroes from the Extreme Universe to life for Netflix.”
Goldsman added: “Rob is a unique and innovative talent who knows how to combine hard-edged comic book action with real emotionality. Netflix has the ambition, reach, and dedication to bring his universe to life.”
Liefeld, best known today for co-creating Marvel’s Deadpool character with Fabien Nicieza, was one of the founding members of the creator-driven Image Comics in the 1990s. His own comic book publishing imprint, initially called Awesome Comics, has seen a lot of changes over the decades, but the current iteration of the Extreme Universe was rebooted a few years back and includes titles like Brigade, Battlestone, Bloodstrike, Kaboom, Regex, Cybrid and Bloodwulf.
Absent from this new Extreme Universe deal are notable titles Youngblood and Avengelyne. The latter is set up at Paramount Pictures with Goldsman himself attached to direct, however, so an eventual continuity link is certainly possible there. After all, Paramount was the studio that gave birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008’s Iron Man.
How do you feel about an Extreme Universe movie franchise? Is there a particular character you’d like to see get his or her own movie first? Let us know in the comments below!
