Marc Silvestri
has vaguely confirmed that a live-action series based on his comic title
The Darkness is currently in development.
At New York Comic-Con, Silvestri said, "I cannot say anything. Look, it's
like we're looking at here, it's like you just, you always have things
going on. And I can say this, that we have something. But I can't say
anything more than that. But I can assure you this: if that thing that's
potentially going on goes forward, it'll be badass beyond belief."
While he was a bit sparse on the details for a potential live-action
adaptation, Silvestri was able to speak more on the upcoming The Darkness
comic series set for release in 2023. "I am writing a new Darkness series
and it'll be coming out sometimes next year, so we'll be making
announcements for that," Silvestri said. "And we're also bringing back
Witchblade because that's the big question we get from everyone, so we're
gonna bring them back starting with new issue number ones."
Silvestri continued, "But yeah, Jack Estacado - as The Darkness, as you
love him but not reimagining per se, just reintroducing. So, we're not
really reinventing any wheels but for people that have not seen the book
before or read the book — first of all, shame on them - but they are
welcomed in, and they'll get it from day one and for people that are
familiar with it, thank you very much. You will not think that we are just
retreading it because it'll feel fresh."
This isn't the first time talk of a live-action adaptation has surfaced.
In December 2004, Dimension Films planned to develop a movie based on The
Darkness, with a release in 2008. The film rights were later sold to the
Pang Brothers in December 2005. At Comic-Con 2009, Top Cow president Matt
Hawkins revealed that a live-action film based on The Darkness was in
development, with Scott Stuber Productions attached as the producer for
the film. Then, in 2012, Len Wiseman signed on to produce the movie.
The Darkness was created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis and David Wohl.
However, the character's first appearance as a character was in Issue #10
of Witchblade in 1996. The story follows Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman,
who, on his 21 birthday, inherits the powers of The Darkness, a cosmic
entity that is the embodiment of the void of chaos. In 2007, The Darkness
was adapted as a videogame for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 which
garnered mostly positive reviews. A sequel to the game was released in
2012 and also received mostly positive reviews.