Keanu Reeves will star in a film adaptation and an anime spin-off based on his BOOM! BRZRKR comic series. THR revealed that Netflix has obtained the rights to BOOM! Studios comic that debuted earlier this month. Reeves will produce alongside Ross Richie and Stephen Christy for BOOM! Studios and Stephen Hamel of Company Films. Adam Yoelin from BOOM! Studios will serve as executive producer. The comic runs for 12 issues, which the film will adapt, while the anime will explore other facets of the larger universe.
Reeves created the concept for the book (and lent his image to the protagonist), which is written by Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) and illustrated by Ron Garney (Amazing Spider-Man). According to Netflix and BOOM !, BRZRKR is a “brutally epic saga about the 80,000-year struggle of an immortal warrior through the centuries. The man known only as B is half mortal and half god, cursed and forced to violence … even at the cost of his sanity sacrifice. But after roaming the earth for centuries, B may have finally found a refuge, working for the United States government to fight battles too violent and dangerous for anyone else. In return, B will be granted the one thing he desires: the truth about his endless, blood-soaked existence … and how to end it. “
The comic is already a great success for the publisher, as it sold more than 600,000 copies of its first issue. That makes the title the biggest release in decades and the best-selling individual issue since Jason Aaron and John Cassaday’s Star Wars # 1 for Marvel Comics in 2015, which sold more than a million copies in total. More impressive still, BRZRKR reached the milestone a month before it was launched in stores.
In addition to taking his ongoing comic to two new media, Reeves recently finished a production of Matrix 4. He will also begin filming John Wick 4 this spring. BOOM! Studios, meanwhile, has a first-look deal with Netflix for more live-action and animated series and features, so more comic book adaptations on the streaming service could be in the works soon.
Written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt, illustrated by Ron Garney, colored by Bill Crabtree, with lyrics by Clem Robins, and featuring character and cover designs by Rafael Grampá, BRZRKR # 1 is on sale now at BOOM! Studies. There is no release date for the movie or animated series yet.
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