Deadline is reporting that Warner Bros. has acquired Black, a feature film adapted from the Black Mask comic book series, which is set in a universe where only Black people can get superpowers. The series comes from co-creators Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3.
Bryan Edward Hill, who is a producer on DC’s Titans, wrote the script. The story centers on one young man who survives a violent event and realizes that he is part of these extraordinary people, but a secret consortium wants to control these abilities and those who possess them, and he soon finds himself at the center of a war over the future of mankind itself.
Jeff Robinov, Guy Danella, and John Graham will produce from Studio 8 with Black Mask Studio’s Matteo Pizzolo and Brett Gurewitz to serve as producer and executive producer. Osajyefo and Smith are co-producers as well. The team is currently searching for a director.
“Part of the inspiration for Black came from my experiencing the lack of representation in comics publishing and how that directly relates to the scarceness of black characters,” said Osajyefo. “For most of comics’ history, white outcasts have been used as allegories for marginalized groups while claiming to reflect the world outside our window. BLACK strips away this veneer to juxtapose superpowers with race while allowing black people to see ourselves authentically in media and inviting wider audiences into parts of our experience. We’re excited to bring this story to everyone through film, and thankful to Studio 8 for believing in it.”
“We became involved in the development of this story over a year ago,” said Studio 8 CEO Jeff Robinov. “Black represents a new generation of storytellers and creators who can accurately tell black stories with the type of care the industry has lacked for decades. The thought-provoking concept caught our attention early on, and we’re proud to play a role in bringing this story to the screen.”
What do you make of this story? Does Black sound like something you would be interested in checking out? Perhaps you’re already a fan of the Black Mask comic series? Either way, jump down to the comments below and be sure to let me and the rest of the movie loving world know your thoughts on this development!
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