'The Umbrella Academy' Live-Action Adaptation Ordered by Netflix
It was recently confirmed that Netflix has ordered a new live-action series based on the comic franchise "The Umbrella Academy."
"The Umbrella Academy" is written by Gerard Way, who is also known as the founding member and lead vocalist of the famous American band My Chemical Romance.
According to reports, the project was just recently given the approval from Netflix this week. The media streaming giant ordered the first season with 10 episodes.
Way expressed his excitement in a statement and said (via Variety): "I am thrilled that 'The Umbrella Academy' has found a home at Netflix. I couldn't think of a better place for the vision Gabriel Bá and myself had when creating the comic, and cannot wait for people to experience that world as a live action show."
He also announced the news through his social media page as he shared a teaser poster of the show and captioned it: "It's really happening!" The same photo shows that the live-action series adaptation will be produced by Universal Cable Productions and Dark Horse Entertainment.
Meanwhile, Netflix vice president of original content, Cindy Holland, said "The Umbrella Academy" was "wholly unique, visual, and stylized" and those qualities were what caught their attention and convinced them to green light the project.
"These aren't the usual superheroes, and this series will embrace the singular tone of the graphic novels — dark yet humorous, supernatural yet grounded in reality. We're excited to see this world and introduce these unforgettable heroes to Netflix members around the globe," Holland added.
"The Umbrella Academy" was first released in 2007 and is known for its plot that features an alternative history where United States president John F. Kennedy was not killed in an assassination. For the most part, the events of the comic series happen in 1977 — Way's birth year.
Umbrella Academy is the name of a group of superheroes described as "dysfunctional." These superheroes were conceived by random women who did not go through the conventional process of pregnancy. They were placed in the women's womb following a cosmic boxing match.
The live-action series adaptation of "The Umbrella Academy" is slated to premiere sometime in 2018 on Netflix.