“We’re in negotiations with Marvel,” Fox exec Dana Walden said Aug. 6 of the channel’s proposed live-action “X-Men” series. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to announce something soon, but we’re not closed on deal yet.”
That changed on Wednesday with Fox’s announcement that its proposed series “Hellfire” will deal with the secret agent infiltrating The Hellfire Club introduced to cinemagoers via “X-Men: First Class.”
“24” vets Evan Katz and Manny Coto will serve as showrunners if the project goes to series while J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay (who worked with Roberto Orci on a discarded script for the upcoming “Star Trek” movie) have been working on the project as well.
While Fox controls rights to make “X-Men” movies, Disney controls the TV rights to the franchise, and Fox confirmed back in January that there were talks between the two media giants aimed at bringing a series to the small screen.
(Now that Disney has licensed some X-Men TV rights to Fox, might Fox might let Disney borrow The Scarlet Witch’s dad for future “Avengers” movies?)
Until music-biz soap “Empire” sauntered in, comic-book derived “Gotham” was the biggest new series on Fox last season.
In 1996, four years before Bryan Singer’s original “X-Men” movie reshaped the onscreen superhero landscape, Fox attempted something similar with its “Generation X” mutant-superhero project, but its TV-movie pilot never made it to series.
Of course Fox had more success with the "X-Men" animated series that ran Saturday mornings on the channel between 1992 and 1997.
With the “24” boys overseeing the proposed series, I have some confidence that the proposed Fox series would be better than Marvel Studios’ syndicated “Mutant X” series that ran three seasons from 2001 to 2004.
Press release:
FOX IN DEVELOPMENT ON “HELLFIRE” (working title)Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Evan Katz, Manny Coto, Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory to Executive-Produce; Patrick McKay and JD Payne to Write Script
Marvel Television and 20th Century Fox Television to Co-Produce
FOX is in development on an action-adventure series, HELLFIRE (working title), it was announced today by David Madden, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.
Set in the late 1960s, the series – which will be produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Marvel Television, with 20th Century Fox handling the physical production – follows a young Special Agent who learns that a power-hungry woman with extraordinary abilities is working with a clandestine society of millionaires – known as “The Hellfire Club” – to take over the world.
“We are thrilled to partner with Marvel to bring this world to television and build upon the vibrant mythology that has captivated fans for years,” said Madden. “These powerful and dynamic characters are complicated and larger-than-life, the pace and visual imagination are unrelenting, and the story takes place during one of the most explosive eras in recent history. We are so looking forward to working with this incredibly talented team.”
“HELLFIRE is a unique opportunity to be able to go deeper with some of these extraordinary characters, but to also dramatize new characters and give TV viewers a chance to experience this expanded world in an explosive way that everyone will be talking about,” commented Jonathan Davis, President, Creative Affairs, 20th Century Fox Television. “The action at the center of HELLFIRE will be dynamic and will satisfy the rabid fans, but that said, newcomers will surely be addicted too!”
HELLFIRE is a co-production of 20th Century Fox Television and Marvel Television. Evan Katz (“24: Live Another Day”), Manny Coto (“24”), Patrick McKay (“Star Trek 3”) and JD Payne (“Star Trek 3”) are co-creators. McKay and Payne will write the pilot script, based on a story by Katz, Coto, McKay and Payne. Lauren Shuler Donner (“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “The Wolverine”), Bryan Singer (“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “X-Men: Apocalypse”), Simon Kinberg (“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Fantastic Four”), Jeph Loeb (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, “Marvel’s Daredevil”) and Jim Chory (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Marvel’s Daredevil”) will executive-produce the pilot, alongside Katz and Coto, who will serve as showrunners.
