Hitman: Agent 47 producer Adrian Askarieh is teaming up with the former head of international productions for Huayi Brothers, Eva Cao, to adapt comic book Enormous for Chinese markets.
Simultaneously, Askarieh is partnering with Pure Imagination Studio to spearhead multimedia initiatives including VR adaptation.
Created by Tim Daniel and artist Mehdi Cheggour, the Image Comics comic is set in a world where humanity is under attack from gigantic monsters.
Askrarieh, who’s been developing Enormous since 2013, has already translated the comic into a Machinima live-action pilot and is taking the franchise into alternative forms of storytelling.
Related Stories
Pacting with Cao is meant to take the property into the Chinese market as a feature film, although television, animation and VR is also being explored.
“Chinese audiences strongly respond to stories like the ones showcased in the Enormous comic books,” said Cao, who initiated the investment deal and led negotiations with Studio 8 while at Huayi. “By partnering with Hollywood creative talent, I’m confident we can turn Enormous into a filmed franchise with global appeal but one which especially captures the sensibilities and imagination of the Chinese audiences.”
Askarieh also believes that the property has a tremendous future in the multimedia sphere, particularly in VR. And that’s where Pure Imagination comes in. The Los Angeles-based company has done work in various fields from live-action to stop-motion on properties such as Batman, Bionicle and Star Wars.
“Properties need to be developed across a range of media platforms these days and leveraging new and compelling ways to tell stories has been a core focus of Pure Imagination Studios since its inception,” said Joshua Wexler, the studio’s chief executive of fun. Enormous, with its concept of monsters vs. man, is primed for plenty of VR potential.
“Imagine looking up at a 60-foot tall monster that wants to eat you. And if you don’t move, and I mean really get out of the way, you’re toast. How awesome is that?”
