Newcomer Madefire Studios has acquired content rights to the dystopian sci-fi epic Treatment, by Dave Gibbons, the comic book artist who is best known as the co-creator and artist for Watchmen, Kingsman, and Give Me Liberty.
Treatment evokes the jarring imagery and legacy of both Cops, the reality crime show, and The Running Man by presenting a dystopian near-future where a global audience of have-nots tune in to watch a powerfully popular franchise that deputizes a collective of former cops, sports stars, former soldiers, and celebrities f every stripe to hunt down suspected criminals and fugitives in a bloody chase streamed live to the world.
The acquisition was first reported by Daily Variety. It’s a big year for Gibbons with Watchmen premiering on HBO on October 20 and The Kings Man, the third feature film in The Kinsgmen series, hitting theaters in February under the Disney/Fox banner.
Treatment is one of 30,000 digital titles available via Madefire and it’s a native product of the Madefire Motion Books, which enhances the reading experience beyond the static page by incorporating sound, movement, layers, and perspective with the narrative. Madefire was founded in 2011 by Ben Wolstenholme, Liam Sharp and Eugene Walden. The Treatment deal represents the first foray into film or television production by upstart Madefire Studios.