By this stage in the game, Mark Millar has certainly developed a knack for teeing up projects with various studios. Fresh off his work on Kingsman: The Secret Service, the esteemed comic writer has now signed a deal with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura to bring Jupiter Legacy to the silver screen.
First picked up by The Hollywood Reporter, Millar co-created the series alongside Frank Quietly, and references both Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings as inspirations. H
ere’s a brief synopsis of the ambitious project:
The children of the world’s greatest superheroes may never be able to fill their parents’ shoes. When the family becomes embattled by infighting, one branch stages an uprising and another goes into hiding. How long can the world survive when one family’s super-powered problems explode onto the global stage?
With a story that spans generations, Jupiter Legacy could be that novel property that the superhero genre so needs in Hollywood. Though it primarily focuses on the arc of their siblings, the genesis of the superhero plot stems from a mysterious island discovered in the 1920s. In this universe, the notion of superpowered humans has been normalized, as the offspring of those original icons have turned out to be huge disappointments, living out their existence by opening night clubs and the like.
There’s more content in the pipeline, too, with Millar working on prequel comic Jupiter’s Circle, due to be released onto shelves today, April 8. As for di Bonaventura’s involvement, the established producer knows a thing or two about overseeing blockbuster, having dabbled with G.I. Joe and the Transformers movie franchises.
So, given the rich reserve of content ripe for adaptation, does Jupiter’s Legacy hold the power to shake up the superhero genre in Hollywood? Frankly, it’s too early to tell, but with Millar and di Bonaventura on board, all signs are currently positive.