Elfquest Animated Series in the Works at Fox

ElfQuest, the long-running fantasy comic book from husband and wife creative team Wendy and Richard Pini, is being developed as an animated series for FOX. The series, which ended in 2018 after forty years (to the day) in comics, is reportedly being developed for television by Rodney Rothman and Adam Rosenberg's Modern Magic. Deadline reports that Susan Hurwitz Arneson (The Last Amazon) will write and produce the series, and serve as showrunner if it makes it to air. ElfQuest, which has been published by Dark Horse since 2013 after years as an indie project, blends science fiction and fantasy to tell the story of an alien race forced to make a go of life on a new planet. From aesthetics to storytelling, it folds in elements of fairy tales and folklore.

Since the end of the main book, there have been ElfQuest spinoffs, but it is unlikely to return as an ongoing series, with the Pinis deciding they woudl rather enjoy a semi-retirement without nonstop deadlines.

"ElfQuest couldn't be in better hands," Wendy and Richard Pini told Deadline. "Our collaborators trust the story. We have the highest regard for their previous achievements, and they have our blessing and input. We know their adaptation of ElfQuest will be a dream come true."

"Wendy and Richard created and sustained one of the most successful independent comics of all time," said Rothman. "It's vividly influenced many of our favorite movies and creators. Along with Susan Arneson, we see their achievement as a perfect jumping off point to explore how post-Spider-Verse animation can take the fantasy genre someplace we haven't seen before. If you're an artist who this speaks to, let us know. We're looking for you."

According to the Deadline report, Rothman (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and Rosenberg will executive produce for Modern Magic, along with Arneson and Wendy and Richard Pini. Bento Box Entertainment (Bob's Burgers) will serve as the production studio.

For more details on the story, here's how the ElfQuest website describes the comic:

ElfQuest is an ongoing heroic fantasy graphic novel series, with science fictional undertones, about a band of alien beings who look like elves trying to survive on a hostile world that is not their ancestors' planet of origin. The storyline focuses on the elves' struggle to remain true to their harmonious, nature-loving ways despite the encroachment into their territories of an ever-increasing human population. The art style of ElfQuest, whether mine or any of the other talented artists Warp Graphics has employed, is a combination of influences from classic fairytale illustration to Japanese anime or manga. Although our elfin cast of characters, like Cutter, Leetah, Skywise and Rayek, have a big-eyed, childlike appearance, their adventures take them psychologically, spiritually and physically to very dark, very grown-up places. It's my firm belief, based on years of fan feedback, that anyone willing to fully explore the epic-sized world of ElfQuest will find their views of modern society mirrored, their prejudices challenged, and their understanding of relationships – of all kinds – forever changed.