Ava DuVernay Sets DC Comics Drama ‘Naomi’ at The CW

Ava DuVernay is setting her sights on The CW.

The prolific writer-producer-director is teaming with Jill Blankenship (Arrow) to develop DC Comics title Naomi for the younger-skewing broadcast network.

Based on the 2019 DC Comics title written by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker, and illustrated by breakout artist Jamal Campbell, Naomi follows a young woman on her unique hero’s journey. The CW take, which is being written and exec produced by DuVernay and Blankenship, follows a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse. When a supernatural event rattles her hometown, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins. What she discovers will challenge everything people believe about superheroes.

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The drama hails from Warner Bros. TV, where DuVernay’s Array Filmworks is under a rich overall deal. Naomi arrives as The CW plots an expansion of the DC Comics-verse as several of its Greg Berlanti-produced comic book dramas wrap their runs. The Mark Pedowitz-led broadcaster last season said farewell to Arrow, the DC drama that launched its entire Arrow-verse. Next year, the network will wrap up both Supergirl and Black Lightning. (A Black Lightning spinoff is already in the works.)

Should Naomi go to series, it would mark the first DC drama on the network that isn’t produced by Berlanti. It’s yet to be determined if Naomi will be connected to Berlanti’s universe, which currently includes The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Supergirl and rookie Superman & Lois. (The CW is also home to DC Universe transfer Stargirl, which is not part of the Arrow-verse, though it is produced by Berlanti.)

This is DuVernay’s latest foray into the DC Comics world. The Queen Sugar and Cherish the Day producer scored a series pickup at HBO Max for DC Comics limited series DMZ. DuVernay and her Array banner are also readying Netflix’s Colin in Black and White, due next year.