Summary
- Paramount Pictures is adapting cult comic Devilina to a film, aiming to launch a new high-concept franchise based on the character.
- The movie will focus on a woman discovering she is the sister of Satan, with potential for interconnected films and shared universe.
- While Devilina is lesser-known, Paramount has a history of launching successful franchises, making this adaptation an intriguing possibility.
Paramount Pictures might have found their new comic book franchise as they are adapting the cult comic Devilina to a feature film. Published Atlas/Seabound Comics (to distinguish themselves from Marvel Comics’ original name, Atlas Comics), Devilina was created in 1975, seemingly as a challenger to both the much more famous Vampirella and Marvel’s Satana, and published just two comics. Yet the basic premise appears strong enough for Paramount Pictures to greenlight a movie, hoping to find a new high-concept franchise.
According to Deadline, Atlas Comics’ Steven Paul has made a deal with Paramount Pictures to produce a feature film adaptation of Devilina. They have attached screenwriter Rebecca Webb to write the script. The movie will center on a sheltered young woman who journeys to New York in search of her past, only to discover she is the sister of Satan. Not only has her twin brother been manipulating her, but a detective is investigating a series of murders linked to her. Regarding the project, Steven Paul said:
“From the beginning, Atlas Comics’ expansive library of characters and stories was crafted as an interconnected universe.
Devilina
serves as the introduction, and we are dedicated to honoring this foundational vision of Atlas, ensuring that audiences can fully immerse themselves in these dynamic characters and narratives,”
Jon Gonda, EVP of Production at Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group said:
“We’re excited to explore the rich legacy of Atlas Comic Book properties in collaboration with SP Media, kicking off with the iconic character,
Devilina,”
A New Cinematic Universe for Paramount Pictures
Atlas/Seabound Comics
While Devilina seems like an odd pick to adapt into a feature film, given she only had two comics from a much smaller publication, the high-concept nature of the material makes it an easy sell. Devilina might not be the most well-known to comic fans, but the basic concept of a woman who is the twin sister of the devil is a strong hook for either an action movie or a horror film and harkens back to the 1990s when studios optioned cult comics like The Rocketeer, Barb Wire, and Spawn as an alternative to more famous Marvel or DC heroes. Then again, adaptations of lesser-known comics have had a rough go over the past few years, from 2020’s adaptation of Bloodsport to the recent adaptation of The Crow, which has bombed with critics.
Devilina also has the promise of setting up a potential shared universe at Paramount. Many Atlas/Seabound Comics characters like Lomax, Grim Ghost, and Phoenix have ties to the original two Devilina comics, which could be the motivating factor behind greenlighting the movie. It isn’t just one film they are planning, but a series of interconnected films from which they can spin off. Paramount Pictures sees value in the Atlas/Seabound Library, one they could mine the same way Warner Bros. does with DC and Disney with Marvel. If the budgets are low, it could be another horror-shared universe like The Conjuring.
While Devilina might be seen as too obscure, it was Paramount Pictures that helped launch the MCU, which at the time was seen as a huge risk, and it is that deal which has become best known for preventing Marvel Studios doing what they want with the Hulk. While Paramount lost out on a bigger stake in the MCU when Disney bought Marvel Studios, they still have their fair share of big franchises under their belt. Currently, Paramount Pictures have the Mission: Impossible, Scream, Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Trek, Transformers, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchises, and if things go right, Devilina might be one of the next.
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