EXCLUSIVE: Marc Guggenheim has been set by Jeff Robinov’s Studio 8 to adapt Prophet, the Image Comics character hatched by Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld.
The aim is to build a franchise around John Prophet, a DNA enhanced super-soldier placed into a cryogenic freeze for a future mission only to awaken prematurely in the present, searching for a mission that does not exist. The ruthless berserker must find his humanity.
Pic is produced by Adrian Askarieh (Hitman: Agent 47), Brooklyn Weaver (Run All Night), and Rob Liefeld. John Hyde and Terissa Kelton will also be involved in producing capacities.
Prophet originated in Liefeld’s Youngblood, and grew into a series of his own in 1993. He cross-pollinated with another Liefeld creation, Cable, who was played by Josh Brolin in Deadpool 2 and is expected to be part of the X-Force franchise launch that Drew Goddard is writing to direct. It’s all based on the comic characters created by Liefeld, who made a deal with Netflix for his Extreme Universe pool of superhero characters to be used in franchise creations creatively overseen by Akiva Goldsman.
Guggenheim is best known for Arrow, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, and he’s making his directorial debut on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, a crossover from The Flash, with that episode to air shortly on the CW. He’s also adapting the graphic novel Gantz for Sony Pictures.
John Graham and Guy Danella will oversee for Studio 8 and also be producers with Robinov.
Guggenheim is managed by Cliff Roberts and lawyered by Ziffren Brittenham.