Stepping into Denzel Washington’s shoes is a tough task for any actor, but it’s not as if the acting icon’s 2004 action thriller was the first – or even the last – time Man on Fire was brought to the screen, which makes it slightly less daunting.
A.J. Quinnell’s novel of the same name served as the basis for Elie Chouraqui’s 1987 movie that starred Scott Glenn in the lead role of former special forces operator John Creasy, before Washington reunited with his Crimson Tide director Tony Scott for the hit remake.
Apoorva Lakhia’s Hindi-language Ek Ajnabee was hit cinemas the year after the most well-known spin on the story, which was released a week after the Tamil-language Aanai, directed by Seva. However, Netflix is taking Man on Fire to the small screen for the first time, and there’s some exciting talent attached.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will play Creasy and executive produce an eight-part series, with Fear Street‘s Kyle Killen serving as head writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Creed II and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts filmmaker Steven Caple Jr will helm the first two instalments, in addition to serving as part of the producorial team.
It stands to reason that the latest iteration of Man on Fire will adopt the plot of the novel in much the same way that its two feature-length predecessors did, which finds Creasy as a burnt-out alcoholic struggling with PTSD who finds himself working private security for a wealthy family in Italy.
After forming a strong bond with the daughter, her kidnapping forces Creasy to take matters into his own hands to rescue the girl and dispense his own bespoke brand of vigilante justice along the way. Abdul-Mateen is very much a star on the rise, with the Primetime Emmy-winning Watchmen star going on to appear in billion-dollar superhero smash Aquaman, Nia DaCosta’s Candyman, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Michael Bay’s Ambulance, and The Matrix Resurrections, with Marvel Studios series Wonder Man up next.
Netflix’s Man on Fire has only been announced as an eight-part series so far, but with Quinnell penning sequel novels The Perfect Kill, The Blue Ring, Black Horn, and Message from Hell, there’s every chance it could end up becoming a recurring show provided it lives up to expectations and draws in the requisite viewing figures to guarantee a long-term future.
The project was initially given the green light back in March with Killen attached, but it’s all systems go now that a star has been found.
