Agent 47's TV Debut is Officially Cancelled, Says John Wick Creator
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
John Wick creator Derek Kolstad confirms that his long-planned live-action Hitman TV series is officially cancelled after failing to secure studio backing.
Agent 47's long-rumored transition to television is officially off the table. Speaking at the South by Southwest premiere of his latest action film Normal, John Wick creator Derek Kolstad confirmed to The Direct that his planned live-action Hitman series is dead in the water. Kolstad expressed genuine disappointment about the shelving of the project, noting that he loves the game and the character deeply, but explained that the script ultimately failed to find a buyer in the current Hollywood landscape.
The project originally surfaced back in 2017 when Fox 21 and Hulu set out to adapt IO Interactive's stealth sandbox franchise. Despite the massive current wave of video game adaptations dominating streaming platforms and box offices alike, the buzz around Agent 47 simply stalled out. Kolstad pointed out the harsh reality of the industry, where writing a compelling pilot is only half the battle, and securing greenlights and financing is an entirely different hurdle.
While this particular adaptation will not see the light of day, the Hitman universe remains very active. IO Interactive continues to support the ever-popular Hitman World of Assassination while looking ahead to their upcoming James Bond project, 007 First Light. Ironically, the entertainment pipeline is moving in the reverse direction as well, with Saber Interactive currently developing a high-budget John Wick game that may well take inspiration from IO Interactive's modern stealth design.
Original reporting by Fran Ruiz at Eurogamer
Tags: Hitman, Television, Gaming News, Adaptations, IO Interactive
Original article: Eurogamer