A ‘Hit Man’ series inspired by the movie, executive-produced by Richard Linklater, is in the works at Netflix
Netflix is honestly full of surprises, and a new one, gift-wrapped in an original inspiration, is currently in the works. The streaming giant is busy fanning the flames of a high-profile expansion of one of its fan-favourite movies, Hit Man, into a series, executive-produced by Richard Linklater.
According to an exclusive Deadline report, the series is inspired by the 2024 AGC Studios feature co-written, produced, and headlined by Glen Powell, and co-written, directed, and produced by Linklater.
In addition to Linklater, Powell is also set to executive produce the potential series, which is written by Stephen Falk and produced by AGC Television, as well as Powell’s BarnStorm Productions.
Falk, Linklater, Powell, and BarnStorm’s Dan Cohen will executive produce the Hit Man series with AGC’s Stuart Ford, Miguel A Palos Jr and Lourdes Diaz. Steve Barnett, Alan Powell, Vicky Patel, Shivani Rawat, and Julie Goldstein also serve as co-executive producers.
Netflix is currently tight-lipped about the show’s details. However, according to the tabloid, the series is expected to follow in the footsteps of its inspiration, telling the story of a police contractor who turns to elaborate impersonation, often posing as a fake hitman to expose people seeking someone to get killed.
While Powell has also excelled in disguise in his Hulu comedy Chad Powers, the plot somewhat resembles the DNA of JJ Abrams’ ABC spy drama Alias.
Hit Man was originally announced by AGC Studio in May 2022, and it acquired numerous international sales ahead of its fall production start. It had a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, followed by a North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, where Netflix snagged the rights for several territories, including the US and the UK, in a $20million deal.
Although Hit Man had a limited theatrical release before its Netflix premiere in June 2024, the film arrived on streaming to a cheerful reception, earning Powell a Golden Globe nomination and a WGA nomination for Powell and Linklater.
The Hit Man series aims to follow the lead of other Netflix movies that have evolved into fan-favourite TV series, including the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, whose first entry was also an acquisition just like Hit Man. The spin-off series XO, Kitty, just had its third season premiere on Netflix. But if you think that’s all the examples we’ve got, you’re mistaken.
Chris Hemsworth’s cutthroat action thriller, Extraction, is also being spun into a TV series, and now with Hit Man joining the club, it’s safe to say Netflix is curating some blockbuster screen time for viewers worldwide.