Superhero comics have been having a moment in movies for a long time and since their popularity hasn’t subsided, Hollywood is digging deeper. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that the cult comic series The Maxx by Sam Kieth is officially in development as a feature film with Channing Tatum (Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The LEGO Batman Movie) and Roy Lee (IT Chapter Two) set to produce the project through their respective production companies. It’s unclear if this adaptation will be a feature film or a series, or if Tatum will star in the titular role.
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The Maxx debuted in 1993 originally published by Image Comics. The series followed the adventures of the titular hero in the real world and in an alternate reality, referred to as the Outback. In the real world, the Maxx is a vagrant, a “homeless man living in a box,” while in the Outback, he is the powerful protector of the Jungle Queen. The Jungle Queen exists in the real world as Julie Winters, a freelance social worker who often bails the Maxx out of jail. While the Maxx is aware of the Outback, Julie is not, though it is integral to both of their stories.
Its unclear if this new adaptation of the comic series will be live-action or animated, but the later would be no stranger to The Maxx. The series was previously adapted into a short-lived animated series for MTV where it was nominated for an Annie Award in 1995 for Best Animated Television Program.
Tatum is no stranger to flirting with comic book movies, having been attached to the role of Gambit in the X-Men for a number of years. Tatum appeared with the casts of 20th Century Fox’s once-growing X-Men franchise at San Diego Comic-Con in 2015. The project never got off the ground as it several directors — including Doug Liman, Rupert Wyatt, and Gore Verbinski — came and went. Disney removed the film from their upcoming slate of movies earlier this year. The actor has also had success in the realm of comics and superheroes, providing the voice for Superman in The Lego Movie, its sequel, and The LEGO Batman Movie and also appearing in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
Though his comic series has been dormant and over for the better part of twenty years, The Maxx recently crossed over with none other than Batman in a five-issue miniseries titled Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams, an event timed to celebrate 25 years of The Maxx.
