It's been more than a year since we've heard much about Ava DuVernay's planned adaptation of DC Comics' saga New Gods for Warner Bros. She has, after all, been busy on the likes of this week's When They See Us. But the comicbook movie is moving along, as Eisner Award-winning writer Tom King has reportedly been hired to co-write the screenplay with her, according to The Wrap's sources.
Created and designed by Jack Kirby in 1971, the New Gods are natives of the twin planets of New Genesis and Apokolips. New Genesis is an idyllic planet ruled by the Highfather, while Apokolips is a dystopia filled with machinery and fire pits ruled by the tyrant Darkseid (we met his less-than-impressive herald Steppenwolf in Justice League). New Genesis and Apokolips call themselves gods, living outside of normal time and space in a realm known as the Fourth World. Kirby's creations have gone on to spread across a variety of other DC titles and the most recent was part of The New 52 in 2011.
King, who joined the CIA as an operations officer in the wake of 9/11, left the agency in 2012 to pursue writing and has produced comics for both DC and Marvel in his time. He's probably best known for his award-winning work on Batman, and recently announced that he'd be leaving the job of guiding Bruce Wayne's adventures, and his new gig would explain why.
Given Warners and DC's more recent drive away from the solidly linked DCEU, it remains to be seen how connected New Gods will be, but King and DuVernay certainly sound like a good combo to produce something watchable.
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