Sci Fi TV News: Weekly digest of the recent news and updates relating to sci fi and fantasy television.
The comic book Powers, created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, is getting a second shot at a television series as Netflix is working on an adult-animated version of the property. The Hollywood Reporter gives the following description:
Combining the tropes of the superhero genre with the police procedural genre, Powers follows two Chicago homicide detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, who work in cases involving super powers.
A live-action series was produced for the PlayStation Network in 2015, a time when pretty much every venue was dabbling with scripted originals, and it ran for two seasons. It does not appear that the animated series will be tied to that, though. Bendis will be onboard for the new show writing the pilot, and Oeming will be involved with the visual development. Powers was first published by Image Comics in 2000, then later shifted to Marvel’s Icon imprint, and it is currently at Dark Horse in the midst of a 25th anniversary limited series.
Also in the works is the adult-animated series Monstress based on yet another Image Comics property, this one created by Marjorie Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda. Amazon’s MGM Studios is producing, and following is the official logline:
Set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world, Monstress tells the story of a young woman with a literal monster living inside of her. On a quest to understand her past and avenge her mother’s murder, she’s joined by a colorful ensemble including a talking cat and a hybrid fox/human girl as they’re thrown in the middle of a war between human and otherworldly forces. When the world turns us into monsters, Monstress asks how can we overcome our monstrosities?
Steven Maeda, who co-created and was showrunner for Netflix’s live-action One Piece, will be helming the project. He will be writing for the series and will act as showrunner. Presumably, this will stream on Amazon’s Prime Video.
This last week was a busy one for cancellations and renewals with five announcements coming out. In cancellations, Paramount+’s Starfleet Academy will be coming to an end after its upcoming second season, and AMC’s Talamasca: The Secret Order has been cancelled after one season. In Renewals, Apple TV’s For All Mankind will venture to a sixth and final season, Disney+’s Wonder Man will return for a second season, and School Spirits has been renewed by Paramount+ for a fourth year. As we get closer to the Upfronts in May, when the major networks and streamers announce their lineups for the coming year, I expect to hear word on more sci fi TV cancellations and renewals.
In production news, work has officially begun on the second season of Pluribus, along with Wonder Man Season 2, School Spirits Season 4, and an untitled Stranger Things spin-off. You can read more about those at this link.
In additional production news, work has already begun on the second season of HBO’s Harry Potter series. That one has not been officially renewed yet, and the teaser for the first season just dropped (see below), but network boss Casey Bloys made the following comment:
Our goal is to not have a huge gap, you know, especially because the kids are growing. It’s not going to be an annual; the show is too big and too massive. But … they’re writing the season two now.
The first season, to be titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is targeting a Christmas 2026 premiere.
And in scheduling news, the Punisher special–to be titled Punisher: One Last Kill–has received a premiere date of May 12th. You can see all the premieres scheduled for April at this link.
Keep up with the latest sci fi TV news and discuss current and past shows at r/SciFiTV and stay up to date on the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts.
Sci Fi TV Trailers:
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (HBO): This series follows Harry Potter, who, on his 11th birthday receives a letter of admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, opening up a hidden world for him: one of fun, friendship, and magic. But with this new adventure comes great risk as Harry is forced to face a dangerous enemy from his past. Premieres Christmas 2026.
You can see more recent sci fi TV trailers r/SciFiTV.
