By NELLIE ANDREEVA
Showtime has bought a script for Chew, a quirky half-hour cop show based on John Layman and Rob Guillory’s bestselling comic book of the same name. Stephen Hopkins is attached to direct and executive produce the project, which hails from Circle of Confusion, the company behind AMC’s hit series adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead.
Terri Hughes Burton and Ron Milbauer (Eureka) wrote the Chew script, which will now be tweaked under Showtime's guidance. Chew tells the darkly comic story of federal agent Tony Chu, a “cibopath” able to get psychic impression from the things he eats who is assigned to the most usual and bizarre crimes. “There are a lot of superhero comic books, but there are not many food comic books," Layman told me back in July when the TV project was still in the nascent stages. Along with Hopkins, Burton, Milbauer, David Engel and Circle of Confusion are also executive producing Chew, with Hopkins' producing partner Kate Garwood expected to produce in some capacity. Hopkins has a longstanding relationship with Showtime: He directed the pilot for the network's dark comedy series Californication and recently helmed an episode of freshman drama Shameless as well as one of Showtime's recently ordered pilots, the Don Cheadle starrer House of Lies.
In addition to The Walking Dead, which has been renewed for a second season, Circle of Confusion is executive producing Powers, a drama project based on the comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Oeming that was recently picked up to pilot by FX. Charles H. Eglee adapted the comic book for Sony TV and FX Prods., with Michael Dinner directing.
This will either be awesome or really, really awful, like the TV adaptation of the Harry Dresden books. If I hadn't known that was what I was watching I would have thought it was an entirely different show. I hope this series stays true to the comics.
ReplyDeleteEpic! Because they did The Walking Dead I trust them, but I'm sure I will still be very picky. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteTo me, the artwork and story for Chew are what makes it a great comic. While I am happy for the success of the comic, I am unsure how well this will adapt to a live action format. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteWhere can a man audition for this? LOL, congrats, this a great thing in really solid hands.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the end result.
I told my parents that when this show premieres, I am going to insist that we all sit down and watch it as a family.
ReplyDeleteFirst of, CONGRATS!
ReplyDeleteSecond of all, I hope this show doesn't suck. I hope it's as good if not better than the comics!
Third, next to The Walking Dead, an Asian male character getting time on-air instead of a stereotype!
Fourth, if this show really DOES happen, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and -::Gulp.:: Insist we subscribe to Showtime. Boy, that's going to be more on the cable bill . . . .
Well, if the Asian guy gets the girl - and a HOT actress at that - then it'll be worth it too!