Sylvester Stallone’s (Rocky, Creed, Tulsa King) Balboa Productions is officially developing a television adaptation of J.D. Barker’s (“The Sixth Wicked Child,” “Something I Keep Upstairs,” “The Coast to Coast Murders”) “4MK” thriller book series alongside Channing Powell (The Walking Dead, White Collar, Fear the Walking Dead). According to Deadline, Powell will serve as the showrunner, writer, and executive producer of the upcoming adaptation.
Set in Chicago, Barker’s “4MK” novels follow Detective Sam Porter as he attempts to track down the infamous Four Monkey Killer, a serial murderer known for using the phrase “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” as part of his disturbing crimes. The killer reportedly removes the ears, eyes, and tongues of victims while exposing hidden corruption through highly personal acts of violence.
The adaptation will reportedly draw from Barker’s original trilogy including “The Fourth Monkey,” “The Fifth to Die,” and “The Sixth Wicked Child,” along with the newly announced prequel trilogy beginning with “The First Scarlet Door,” which is expected to release worldwide later this year.
Powell will executive produce the series alongside Stallone and D. Matt Geller (Remember, Departure, Four in the Morning), while Christian Bersani (Disenchanted, The Tick, The Divergent Series: Insurgent) will oversee the project for Balboa Productions after reportedly bringing the material to Powell. In a statement shared with Deadline, Stallone praised Barker’s storytelling and described the project as being “tailor-made for premium television.” Barker also expressed excitement about the adaptation, calling the story a “relentless, psychologically charged ride” designed to leave a lasting impact on audiences.
Powell currently serves as co-executive producer on From and previously co-created Tales of the Walking Dead alongside Scott M. Gimple (The Walking Dead, Chase, Fillmore!). Prior to that, the writer worked across multiple seasons of The Walking Dead and created the international drama series The Feed starring David Thewlis (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Kingdom of Heaven, The Omen) and Guy Burnet (Oppenheimer, The Feed, Counterpart) for Prime Video and Sky.
In addition to the upcoming “4MK” adaptation, Balboa Productions recently wrapped production on season four of Tulsa King starring Martin Starr (Adventureland, Knocked Up, Spider-Man: Homecoming) and is currently developing several additional projects, including Blood Aces, starring Cole Hauser (Good Will Hunting, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Yellowstone).