The publisher of Invincible, Image Comics, may have another successful TV adaptation on its hands as one of its most popular comic book series has a live-action series now in development. Two acclaimed studios, Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster, will serve as the production companies for the show.
Blumhouse is developing new live-action show based on popular Image Comics publication
A live-action series based on Image Comics’ Chew is officially in development at Blumhouse and its subsidiary studio, Atomic Monster. The co-creator and artist of the comic book series, Rob Guillory, broke the news on his Facebook page.
Guillory posted, “FUN FACT: My comic CHEW is officially in development for live action TV at Blumhouse Productions/Atomic Monster.” In the comments, he added that the paperwork is done and shared his excitement. A day later, he made a follow-up post in which he noted that he can’t share details about the cast or any other information, especially “on FACEBOOK of all places.”
Meanwhile, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster are yet to make any official announcements about the adaptation.
Chew is written by John Layman with art by Guillory. It ran from June 2009 to November 2016, with 60 issues. The series even received two Eisner Awards and two Harvey Awards. In 2020, Layman also began establishing the Chewniverse with two follow-up titles, Outer Darkness and Chu.
Chew takes place in a world where chickens and other bird meats have become illegal following a devastating global bird flu pandemic. The story follows Tony Chu, a Philadelphia Police Department vice cop who has a bizarre psychic ability called cibopathy. This ability allows him to receive psychic impressions from eating food, human flesh, objects, or anything he can get his hands on. After using his abilities during a case, he gets fired from PPD for his methods. But he eventually joins the FDA, where he partners with Mason Savoy, another cibopath.
Interestingly, this is not the first time a studio has decided to adapt Chew. In 2014, an animated feature was in the works with Steven Yeun, Felicia Day, and Robin Williams set to lend their voices. However, Williams’ untimely passing halted the project. While David Tennant took over Williams’ role, the project ultimately remains unfinished.