Dark Horse’s long-running coming Grendel will be adapted into an eight-episode TV show by Netflix. The series will star Abubakr Ali in the lead role of Grendel, AKA Hunter Rose, with the supporting cast including Brittany Allen, Julian Black Antelope, Kevin Corrigan, and Emma Ho.
The series logline reads: “Based on Matt Wagner’s groundbreaking comic book series, Grendel follows Hunter Rose, a gifted fencer, writer and assassin as, seeking to avenge the death of a lost love, he goes to war with New York’s criminal underworld, only to realize…why beat them, when you can join them?”
Andrew Dabb will serve as writer and showrunner for Grendel. Dabb previously has written for The CW’s Supernatural, also taking up the mantle of co-showrunner from season 12 onwards. He’s also a writer on Netflix’s upcoming Resident Evil TV show.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled about the Grendel saga, one of the longest-running independent comics series, finally being translated into live-action for the screen,” said Grendel creator Matt Wagner in a press release. “I’m especially excited to see Abubakr Ali bring the character of Grendel/Hunter Rose to life–he has the charisma, style and vital edginess that I’ve been envisioning in the role for years.”
The show isn’t the first collaboration between Netflix and Dark Horse, who currently have a first-look deal. Netflix’s hit show The Umbrella Academy is also adapted from a Dark Horse comic, as was the 2019 film Polar. The two companies are also working together on the upcoming animated show Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles.