Rowan Black’s investigation into who is hunting witches in Portsmouth may jump from comics to television.
According to Deadline, writer Greg Rucka and artist Nicola Scott’s Black Magick comic series has been optioned by Michael London’s Groundswell Productions. There were multiple bidders competing with Groundswell Productions for option rights to the noir/horror Image comic. London’s company, known for The Magicians, is packaging Black Magick as a one-hour cable drama.
On acquiring the option rights to the series London said, “Greg and Nicola have created an indelible small town character and put her at the center of a gripping mystery driven by a fresh take on the mythology of witchcraft. Our plan is to find a world class creator who can realize their vision for the series and then take it to the cable and streaming networks.”
Rucka spoke about the decision to go with London and said, “We had a lot of attention and some very difficult choices to make when it came to finding Black Magick a home. Ultimately, Michael and Groundswell took the day with a passion and sincerity that certainly make Nic and I feel that Rowan is in very good hands.”
Black Magick tells the story of Portsmouth detective and practicing witch Rowan Black. When someone sporting the symbol of the witch-hunting group Aira attempts to burn Rowan alive, Rowan’s cop and magick worlds start to collide.
Black Magick joins the growing list of comics being adapting in recent years, and it is not Rucka’s first comic book to get this treatment either. Legendary TV is currently developing Rucka and artist Michael Lark’s Lazarus with Matt Tolmach, and Rucka is set to write the pilot. Fox is developing a film adaption of Rucka’s British espionage Queen & Country starring Ellen Page and produced by Jenno Topping. Rucka also worked as an executive producer on the Kate Beckinsale-starring adaptation of his Antarctic murder mystery Whiteout.
The first trade paperback of Black Magick, which collects the first five-issue story arc, was released at the end of April.