John Wagner and Arthur Ranson’s Button Man is still in the mix, even after years of development under multiple hands. Word now comes from Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. that the project is now in the hands of Fifth Season Production Company for a TV adaptation.
What’s more is that David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs And Shaw) is being eyed to direct the series. In addition, he will exec produce alongside Kelly McCormick via 87North. Alex Jackson will also exec produce next to Wagner and Ranson.
Here’s a description of the graphic novels via 2000 A.D.:
A former soldier, he left the military to offer his services as a mercenary in various Third World engagements, But soldiers-for-hire were a dying breed and the work was drying up. So Harry returned to England, and civvy street.
Until a friend tells him about THE KILLING GAME
Modern-day gladiatorial contests – man against man, usually to the death. A game of murder played for high stakes. The games are arranged by mysterious backers known as the ‘Voices’; disembodied voices on the other end of a telephone, telling you where to go to, who to meet. A player can either become very rich or very dead, very quickly.
Harry decides to become a player. A BUTTON MAN.
For a professional killer like Harry, the rewards are plentiful ‹ but once the game begins, will he be able to walk away?
Film rights for Button Man last landed at Netflix back in following its previous stay at DreamWorks. It’s especially an opportune grab for Fifth Season, and especially for Leitch and 87North partner McCormick who lead audiences into the weekend with a hot new release from Universal with Ryan Gosling action comedy adventure, The Fall Guy.
Leitch is also developing a feature advancement of classic martial arts series, Kung Fu, as a starring vehicle for Donnie Yen. He can currently be seen in the new docuseries, Action, now streaming on Peacock.
Read more at Deadline.
