Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Justin Jordan, luther strode, tradd moore

Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore's Luther Strode Getting A Movie?

Word is breaking at The Hollywood Reporter this morning that The Strange Talent of Luther Strode – Image Comics' breakout hit series that launched the careers of writer Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore to much critical acclaim – has been tapped for a feature film adaptation by a new production company called Allnighter from some very familiar faces: former Valiant CEO and Hivemind partner (and current Bad Idea Co-CEO) Dinesh Shamdasani, former Hivemind SVP (and current Bad Idea Publisher) Hunter Gorinson, and former Lionsgate film/gaming executive Amanda Kruse.

Jordan is currently adapting the film himself and will write the screenplay. Both Jordan and Moore will produce the film alongside Allnighter's Shamdasani, Gorinson, and Kruse.

Luther Strode has been pursued at many times over the past decade by high-profile genre producers — looks like Allnighter was finally able to seal the deal. Here's the synopsis for the action-horror adaptation:

Like Venom and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Luther Strode deftly splices together the common DNA of the superhero and slasher archetypes for a brash and bloody adventure that is equal parts comic-book escapism and action-horror hybrid.

High schooler Luther Strode was always a little bit less than average – soft-spoken, skinny, and, more than anything, terrified that his estranged father would one day return to torment him and his mother once more. But that ended the day that Luther discovered "The Method" – an improbably old text hidden between the comic books and ragged paperbacks at his favorite used bookstore. But The Method is far more than it seems – and, as its ancient techniques rework Luther's body and unlock the strange talents buried deep within, he will find himself transformed into a near-perfect physical specimen imbued with incredible strength, startling new abilities…and a killer's instinct for violence that he can't quite seem to shake. When The Method's masters arrive to observe Luther's progress and draw him into action, he'll be forced to make the ultimate choice: embrace the monster he was intended to be…or use his newfound power to protect the people – the classmates, the teachers, the neighbors – who never protected him when he needed them the most.

Says series co-creator Justin Jordan:

"Luther Strode remains one of my very favorite things I've ever worked on and getting the chance to bring it to a new audience as a film is exciting beyond belief. Especially since Allnighter is dedicated to staying true to all of the foundations – from the tone to the mythology, and, of course, the kinetic action exemplified by Tradd's artwork – that people have loved about the comic."

And producer/Allnighter co-founder Amanda Kruse:

"Allnighter is built to celebrate not just the things we love, but the artists that have something new and distinctive to say about them as well. Luther Strode's unique perspective is a perfect example of that mandate in action."

And from Image Comics Publisher & Chief Creative Officer Eric Stephenson:

"The Strange Talent Of Luther Strode is the type of pitch every publisher dreams of – work by newcomers so anxious to make their mark that every page practically vibrates with indomitable confidence. When I first got a look at Luther Strode as a blind submission in my inbox, I was bowled over by the sheer audacity of what Justin and Tradd were creating, and it was an automatic green light. It's going to be exciting to see how this awesome series takes shape in another medium!"

Several years ago, former Valiant execs Dinesh Shamdasani and Hunter Gorinson left in the aftermath of the high-profile comic book start-up's acquisition by Chinese conglomerate DMG.

They then turned more than a few heads by starting up Hivemind, the Hollywood production company that turned out a strong of high-profile films and TV series in recent years, including Netflix's The Witcher with Henry Cavill, Amazon's new seasons of the sci-fi hit The Expanse, the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark movie co-produced with Guillermo del Toro, and this year's Bloodshot feature film from Sony starring Vin Diesel.

In recent months, they also co-founded (with fellow Valiant alums Warren Simons, Joshua Johns and Atom Freeman) Bad Idea, the roguish new comics imprint that snuck a secret comic, The Hero Trade by Matt Kindt & David Lapham, into stores without any advance notice and minted one of 2020's hottest comics in the process. They'll be following that up soon with Bad Idea's first full wave of books, scheduled to begin arriving in March 2021.

Now comes Allnighter – the team's new post-Hivemind production company that will continue working moving forward several previously publicized projects, including TV series based on Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino's Gideon Falls; Weird Fantasy, based on the classic EC Comics stories of Wally Wood, Al Feldstein, Joe Orlando, and others; Illuminatus!, from the cult science-fiction trilogy by authors Robert Anton Wilson & Robert Shea with showrunner Brian Taylor; and Final Fantasy, the live-action series based on Square Enix's renowned video game franchise, in addition to, of course, the new film based on Jordan and Moore's hit Luther Strode trilogy. You can visit them online at TeamAllnighter.com.

One of the series that helped propel Image's massive post-Walking Dead resurgence at the turn of the previous decade, Luther Strode was a surprise hit for two first-time creators that instantly made the series a top-tier property alongside series Saga, The Manhattan Projects, Fatale, and more. Jordan subsequently became one of the most in-demand writers in comics, helming tentpole launches for several of DC's New 52 properties and Valiant's Shadowman. He has also seen massive success on Webtoon with The Urban Animal. Moore also has become one of the biggest artistic draws in the industry today, most recently illustrating The New World with Ales Kot, Silver Surfer Black with Donny Cates and providing images for Fortnite's Marvel takeover.

Clearly getting a heads up, copies of the first issue started to sell for $45 to $50 on eBay yesterday.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!