Comic book creator Jim Starlin has teamed up with Benderspink and Universal Cable Productions to adapt his superhero comic, Dreadstar, for the small screen. Starlin will pen the series and executive produce along with Catacombs‘ Ford Gilmore, while a network has yet to be found.
The sci-fi show is expected to follow the stories found in the original comics, which were first published in 1982 under Marvel imprint, Epic Comics. Running for 64 issues – 41 of which were written by Starlin – they revolve around “Vanth Dreadstar, sole survivor of the entire Milky Way galaxy, and an ensemble cast of crewmates, including cyborg sorcerer Syzygy Darklock.” The driving forces behind the story is expected to stem from “their struggle to end an ancient war between two powerful, evil empires: The Church of The Instrumentality, run by the Lord Papal; and the Monarchy, administered by King Gregzor.”
If the basic gist seems a shade familiar, then take a brief look over a few examples snatched from Starlin’s resume. His input at Marvel during the ’70s and ’80s found him working on major titles such as Iron Man and Captain Marvel, as well as taking co-credit for creating Guardians Of The Galaxy‘s Thanos, Drax and Gamora. There seems to be a definite whiff of Star-Lord to Vanth Dreadstar – but this is coming from someone who has yet to read a Dreadstar comic.
“I consider Dreadstar to be an extension of my family, so it took me a while to feel comfortable letting anyone else take care of this project,” said Starlin, on the forthcoming TV series. “It has taken some time, but I know I’ve put my trust in the right team and I’m excited to collaborate with Universal Cable Productions and Benderspink to bring Dreadstar’s unique brand of chaos to television.”
What’s interesting to note here is that Starlin and Benderspink previously announced plans to collaborate on a big-screen adaptation of the comic along with Illuminati Entertainment. According to today’s reports, that feature is still on the cards. So, will they sync up or serve as standalone media? We’ll let you know as soon as more news lands on Dreadstar.