Netflix continues to draw from the comics world, and while there have been some misses along with the hits, it'll be hoping that an adaptation of Matt Wagner's classic Dark Horse series Grendel will bring good things.
Grendel follows Hunter Rose, a gifted fencer, writer and assassin as, seeking to avenge the death of a lost love, he goes to war with New York's criminal underworld, only to realise: why beat them, when you can join them?
With Supernatural veteran Andrew Dabb running the show, the cast has already been picked. Abubakr Ali is on to play Hunter Rose/Grendel, with the ensemble including Jaime Ray Newman, Madeline Zima, Julian Black Antelope, Kevin Corrigan, Emma Ho, Erik Palladino, Brittany Allen and Andy Mientus.
Wagner also seems pleased with how things are going... "I couldn’t be more thrilled about the Grendel saga, one of the longest-running independent comics series, finally being translated into live-action for the screen," he says in a statement. "Under the sharp guidance of showrunner Andrew Dabb, our incredible creative team, sure-to-be stellar cast and Dark Horse Entertainment have teamed with Netflix to produce this provocative adaptation that will bring my characters and concepts to an all new audience and yet still provide excitement and surprises for die-hard fans. I'm especially excited to see Abubakr Ali bring the character of Grendel/Hunter Rose to life – he has the charisma, style and vital edginess that I've been envisioning in the role for years."
The streaming service has ordered an eight-episode first season of Grendel, though it has yet to start shooting.