While we wait for the Spawn reboot to finally materialize, creator Todd McFarlane is moving forward with a spinoff of the dark superhero franchise based around its two most popular human characters. Deadline revealed this Thursday that McFarlane is developing a Sam and Twitch TV series, starring mismatched detectives Sam Burke and Twitch Williams.
Sam and Twitch is coming from Wiip Productions, the independent studio behind HBO’s recent smash hit Mare of Easttown. Jason Smilovic and Todd Katzberg (who previously helmed Epix’s thriller series Condor) will serve as showrunners, exec producing alongside McFarlane, McFarlane Films’ Sean Canino and Wiip’s Paul Lee and Mark Roybal.
In a statement, McFarlane teased that Sam and Twitch will be a “blending of traditional crime noir and the supernatural,” much like the characters’ adventures in the comics.
“My two detective characters Sam Burke and “Twitch” Williams appeared in the very first issue of SPAWN #1 back in 1992. Since then, they’ve become fan favorites and have branched out into their own comic series throughout the years,” said McFarlane. “Their stories, blending traditional crime noir and the supernatural, is a combination that I’ve always thought would make for an entertaining television drama. The addition of wiip and the creative writing skills of Jason Smilovic and Todd Katzberg make for a very compelling team that we all hope leads to the entertaining show we know this can be. If you like cool, moody, creepy, odd crime stories, this will be your cup of tea!”
McFarlane has been trying to get this project off the ground for years. Back in 2017, another take on a Sam and Twitch show was being developed over at BBC America, with Kevin Smith attached to run it. Smith doesn’t appear to be involved in this version, however, which makes sense considering that he’s busy with the new Masters of the Universe animated series for Netflix. It’s unclear where this Sam and Twitch show might end up, but Wiip’s established relationship with HBO leaves the premium network as a stronger contender.
As for the Spawn reboot, that’s still somewhat stuck in limbo, though Todd McFarlane has teased that an announcement could be coming sometime this summer. The potential Jamie Foxx vehicle is supposed to kickstart a cinematic universe, but we don’t know if Sam and Twitch will share continuity with it or not. Stay tuned for more on this spinoff as it comes in and in the meantime, let us know if you’re excited for it in the comments section.
