Battle Chasers TV Show From Alcon Entertainment & John Wick Creator In The Works

A Battle Chasers TV series is in the works from John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. Battle Chasers is an action/fantasy comic book created by artist Joe Madureira, which launched in 1998, running for a total of nine issues. The story follows a group of mismatched adventurers in a magical world who must team up to fight a growing evil force. Madureira left the comic book industry shortly after to pursue a career as a video game developer, eventually launching a Battle Chasers RPG in 2017, Battle Chasers: Nightwar. Madureira recently announced that he would be releasing three more issues to Battle Chasers, which would tie up the cliffhanger ending of the initial run.

Kolstad created the John Wick franchise, writing the first script for the film, as well as two of its sequels. He also wrote this year's action hit Nobody, starring Bob Odenkirk, and wrote two episodes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier for Disney+. He is currently adapting Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell for Netflix, while his John Wick franchise, the most profitable in Lionsgate's history, continues in John Wick: Chapter 4, set for release in 2022.

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Kolstad is now set to write and executive produce Madureira's Battle Chasers as a live-action series, reviving the comic in a whole new way. The series will be produced by Adrian Askarieh's Prime Universe, Zoic Pictures, and Alcon Television Group, although many details are still unclear, including where it will debut, casting, and episodes, as it's in the early stages of development. Madureira is excited about the announcement, saying:

“As a huge fan of John Wick, you can imagine my excitement when Adrian and Derek reached out about turning Battle Chasers into a show. It’s not something I ever thought could happen, and I’m blown away to have this opportunity with so many talented folks, including Alcon and Zoic, behind it. Everyone involved seems to genuinely love the series, so I know it’s going to be great.”

Kolstad expressed his own enthusiasm for the project, saying, "As a storyteller - as well as a super fan of unapologetic and unrelenting action - I can’t wait for people to feel as giddy as I did when I first laid eyes on Battle Chasers." Askarieh, who produced the Hitman series of films, Hitman and Hitman: Agent 47 (with a Hitman series currently in development) says that working on Battle Chasers "has been a 20-year dream," while Alcon's executive producer Ben Roberts says he "connected deeply" to the Battle Chasers comics when they first debuted and is "thrilled" to be bringing the material to a new audience.

Battle Chasers has long been a fan-favorite comic, even with such a short run on the series. Madureira's art was at its peak during the time of release, being one of the hottest creators on the market, and Battle Chasers hit all the right notes for his fanbase. The fantasy, sword-and-sorcery elements, created a vibrant new world that paid homage to everything from Harry Potter to World of Warcraft to modern anime, which is sure to play well in live-action form. With streaming opening so many doors for new IP, Battle Chasers feels ripe for adaptation, which could potentially turn into a long-running series that far outpaces its comic roots.

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Source: Zoic Pictures