Posted in: Amazon Studios, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: amazon, criminal, ed brubaker, prime video, sean phillips

Criminal: Prime Video Adapting Brubaker, Phillips Comic Book Series

Amazon's Prime Video is adapting Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips' Criminal as a series, with Brubaker penning the pilot and co-showrunning.

Published Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:43:08 -0600

by Ray Flook

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Fans of Ed Brubaker (Westworld, Batman: Caped Crusader) and Sean Phillips' Criminal were in for some good news on Monday, with Amazon's Prime Video announcing that the multi-Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series will be making the leap from the comics pages to the small screen in a live-action adaptation. Both Brubaker & Phillips are set to executive produce, with Brubaker penning the pilot script and serving as co-showrunner alongside acclaimed crime fiction author Jordan Harper (Hightown, Gotham, The Mentalist). "Sean and I have been building this world in our books for over a decade, and now to be able to bring it to life for Amazon is just incredible. And to have Amazon support the project the way they have and show so much faith in my and Jordan's vision for the show is even more incredible," shared Brubaker in a statement.

Brubaker and Phillips are considered by many to be one of the most acclaimed teams in the history of comics, having spent over two decades creating such hits as Criminal, The Fade Out, Kill or Be Killed, Reckless, Pulp, and many others. In fact, the "grand masters of crime comics" have seen their best-selling library of graphic novels translated around the world in over a dozen languages – with Criminal as the best-selling, internationally-published graphic novel series.

Brubaker has left an impressive imprint during his time with the comics industry, penning key arcs for Marvel & DC Comics – including Batman, Catwoman, The Immortal Iron Fist, and Captain America, including creating the character of the Winter Soldier. Along with already impressive television work, Harper is the award-winning author of She Rides Shotgun (currently being adapted as a feature film with Taron Egerton attached) and Everybody Knows (named as a "Best Crime Novel of the Year" by The New York Times for 2023).

"'Criminal" is a beloved graphic novel created by the most iconic team in the history of comics," shared Nick Pepper, head of U.S. SVOD wholly owned development, Amazon MGM Studios. "I know our global Prime Video customers will immediately embrace this story, and I look forward to working with Ed, Jordan, and the team to bring it to the screen." Prime Video's Criminal is executive produced by Brubaker and Harper, alongside Phillips, Sarah Carbiener, and Phillip Barnett. Legendary Television will also serve as an executive producer with Amazon MGM Studios producing the series.

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