Rob Liefeld and his comic book character creations have had a pretty good year. Fox's Deadpool follow-up film had a solid box office and critical run, nearly matching the high bar set by the original live-action adaptation. Then, Liefeld and Netflix got together for a massive deal to bring his "Extreme Universe" to the content-streaming giant. Now, an all-new project is in the works that'll bring another of the comics legend's imaginative personas to life, that of the anti-Captain America character, Prophet.
Announced today, Studio 8 has secured the rights to Liefeld’s Image Comics character, John Prophet, "a DNA enhanced super-soldier placed into a cryogenic freeze for a future mission only to awaken in the wrong time [our time] searching for a mission that does not exist." Prophet is described as "a ruthless berserker that must find his humanity," making the character pretty much the antithesis to Steve Rogers in his actions but quite like him in his predicament.
The history of Prophet saw the character appearing in the pages of Liefeld's other title Youngblood only to catch fire with fans and, ultimately, star in his own series starting in 1993. One of the most memorable storylines of that run was a crossover special with the classic character Cable, whom many new fans just met for the first time in Deadpool 2 and may yet see again in a future Fox film. Could he cross paths with Prophet in the years to come? Time will tell!
Liefeld, Adrian Askarieh (Hitman franchise) and Brooklyn Weaver (Run All Night, Out of the Furnace) will produce. John Hyde and Terissa Kelton will also be involved in the project. From Studio 8, the filmmaker-driven company focused on prestige pictures and elevated genre films with a unique point of view, John Graham and Guy Danella will oversee.
The company, funded in partnership with the Chinese investment management firm Fosun Group and with Sony Pictures Entertainment, has the first of two international releases come this summer: Alpha (August 17, 2018) and White Boy Rick (September 14, 2018). Next up for Studio 8 is Graham Moore’s Naked Is the Best Disguise, which has been fast-tracked for production later this year. The studio has also acquired Black, Champion, Hypnotic, and Planet Kill, so keep an eye and ear out for news on those titles, Prophet, and more!
