Deadline reports that a movie based on Black Mask Comics series BLACK is being developed by Warner Bros. Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3 are responsible for creating the comic which has spawned its own universe, with Jamal Igle, Khary Randolph, Jennifer Johnson, Vita Ayala, and Liana Kangas among those who have worked on various spinoffs.
BLACK revolves around Kareem Jenkins, a teenager who is gunned down by the police. He survives and then discovers that he has superpowers; however, he's not alone, and it turns out that Kareem is just one of many Black men and women who possess amazing abilities which are kept under wraps by a shadowy, far-reaching conspiracy.
"Part of the inspiration for BLACK came from my experiencing the lack of representation in comics publishing and how that directly relates to the scarceness of black characters," Osajyefo said in a statement. "For most of comics' history, white outcasts have been used as allegories for marginalized groups while claiming to reflect the world outside our window."
"BLACK strips away this veneer to juxtapose superpowers with race while allowing black people to see ourselves authentically in media and inviting wider audiences into parts of our experience. We're excited to bring this story to everyone through film, and thankful to Studio 8 for believing in it."
"We became involved in the development of this story over a year ago," adds Studio 8 CEO Jeff Robinov. "BLACK represents a new generation of storytellers and creators who can accurately tell black stories with the type of care the industry has lacked for decades. The thought-provoking concept caught our attention early on, and we're proud to play a role in bringing [it] to the screen."
Titans producer Bryan Edward Hill penned the screenplay for BLACK, and the hope is that the movie could end up spawning a franchise. It's a premise with a lot of potential, and it's going to be interesting to see how the project comes together in terms of a director and the cast Studio 8 assembles.