In a move that can be described as both, “about time” and “well, thats new,” 20th Century Fox has announced they are producing TWO television series based on X-Men characters in conjunction with Marvel’s TV group.
On FX we’ll get LEGION, a show about David Haller, most notably known in the comics for being Professor Xavier’s son with multiple personality disorder. Each personality he creates, triggers a spontaneous mutation within him, meaning each person in him has a different power.
On Fox TV we’ll get HELLFIRE, the story about the Hellfire Club, who’s primary leaders, Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw, showed up on X-Men: First Class (but probably will not be returning). Set in the 60’s, this will follow a detective as they try to uncover the group’s motives.
Right now we have no release date, but we do know that both shows will be exec produced by Bryan Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg, as well as Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory. This Fox and Marvel team up could lead to greater things down the road.
Are you excited for X-Men to take up more hours of your day on TV?
PRESS RELEASE
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Legion introduces the story of David Haller: Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real. Noah Hawley (Fargo, Bones) is writing an serves as Executive Producer, along with Lauren Shuler Donner (X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Wolverine), Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Superman Returns), Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Martain), Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s Daredevil), Jim Chory (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s Daredevil) and John Cameron (Fargo, The Big Lebowski). “Legion is just the sort of ambitious story that Noah excels at,” said Nick Grad, Co-President Original Programming, FX Networks and FX Productions. “His adaption of Fargo for television was one of the most acclaimed television events in recent memory. It’s also an honor to partner with Marvel on Legion and to enlist such an accomplished team of Executive Producers to create this pilot.”
Hellfire will be set in the late 1960s. The series — which will be produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Marvel Television, with 20th Century Fox handling the physical production — follows a young Special Agent who learns that a power-hungry woman with extraordinary abilities is working with a clandestine society of millionaires – known as “The Hellfire Club” – to take over the world. “We are thrilled to partner with Marvel to bring this world to television and build upon the vibrant mythology that has captivated fans for years,” said David Madden, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. . “These powerful and dynamic characters are complicated and larger-than-life, the pace and visual imagination are unrelenting, and the story takes place during one of the most explosive eras in recent history. We are so looking forward to working with this incredibly talented team.” Hellfire is a co-production of 20th Century Fox Television and Marvel Television, co-created by Evan Katz, Manny Coto, Patrick McKay, and JD Payne.
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