Posted in: Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: arena mode, Blake Northcott, heavy metal, Heavy Metal Magazine, preview

Heavy Metal Adapting Blake Northcott's "Arena Mode" Novels for Series

Heavy Metal Entertainment is moving into television with an adaptation of author Blake Northcott’s sci-fi trilogy, the "Arena Mode Saga."

Heavy Metal Entertainment had some holiday cheer to share on Friday, with Deadline Hollywood reporting exclusively that the iconic sci-fi & fantasy brand (long-running magazine, comics, podcasts, and more) is moving into television. First up, an adaptation of Blake Northcott's (DC Comics' Catwoman) trilogy of novels "Arena Mode Saga" (Arena Mode, Assault or Attrition, and Final Empire; with The Manticore Ascension taking place between the first two novels), with the first novel currently in active development. Heavy Metal Entertainment CEO Matthew Medney, Tommy Coriale, and Northcott will develop and produce the series (with Northcott expected to offer more details on the "Arena Mode" adaptation during Saturday's Heavy Metal Creators WonderCon virtual panel. Here's a look at the official overview from the first novel, Arena Mode:

In his twenty-nine years, Matthew Moxon had done virtually nothing with his record-breaking IQ and unparalleled problem solving abilities. Until one morning, after a dangerous fall lands him in the emergency room, he discovers that a tumor is pressing against his brain.

Unable to afford experimental but potentially life-saving surgery, Moxon takes drastic action; he volunteers for Arena Mode: 2041's most vicious sporting event, where thirteen superhumans fight in an urban combat zone for a multi-billion dollar prize.

Moxon is forced to battle opponents possessing ungodly speed, strength, and abilities once thought to exist only across the pages of superhero comics – and he's armed with nothing more than his rapidly-diminishing brain cells.

With the odds stacked impossibly against him, Moxon fights to not only survive the wrath of the other competitors, but to unlock the mysteries buried within the Arena itself.

"When I started Arena Mode almost a decade ago, I set out to write a novel that had a cinematic feel, blending action, adventure, and a lot of heart," said Northcott. "I've always envisioned it as a series, so I'm thrilled to be working with Heavy Metal to bring it to the screen." Medney added, "During my time as CEO of Heavy Metal, I have had the privilege of collaborating and creating with some of the best talent from the world of genre comics and books. When I met Blake, I was impressed by her ability to envision the scope of her worlds beyond the written word. Her talent for creating incredible science fiction stories is second to none. I am beyond excited to explore the universe that Blake has created and develop Arena Mode as a series." For Coriale, "Blake is a powerhouse talent, and the universe she built in Arena Mode is going to blow viewers away. The action, scale, and sheer awesomeness of this story are matched up perfectly with grounded, character-driven storytelling. I genuinely cannot wait to get this out to the world."

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