Long targeted as a potential movie, My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way's comic book series The Umbrella Academy has more recently been making moves towards the small screen, as befits a complex story (and suited the likes of American Gods). Netflix has confirmed that it will be picking the story up for a 10-episode first series.
The company confirmed the news first broken by the Splash Report team a few days ago, with word that Universal Cable Productions will bring the show to the streaming service next year. Written by Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, T_he Umbrella Academy_ follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes – The Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror, and The White Violin – as they work together to solve their father’s mysterious death while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities.
"I am thrilled that The Umbrella Academy has found a home at Netflix," says Way. "I couldn’t think of a better place for the vision Gabriel Bá and myself had when creating the comic, and cannot wait for people to experience that world as a live action show." Fantastic Four's Jeremy Slater wrote the pilot for the show, and Fargo producer Steve Blackman will oversee the first series.