Remo Williams is finally coming to television.
Sony Television Studios has acquired the rights to the mega-selling pulp series “The Destroyer” for development as a live-action series and has set “Better Call Saul” writer-producer Gordon Smith to write and executive produce, the company announced on Tuesday.
Prime Universe Films’ Adrian Askarieh will executive produce.
Originated by warren Murphy and Richard Sapir and first published in 1971, “The Destroyer” book series is about US government operative named Remo Williams, a former Newark cop framed for a crime and sentenced to death. His death is faked by the government so he can be trained as an assassin for CURE, a secret organization set up to defend the country by working outside the law.
Smith closed an overall deal with Sony Television Studios in 2017. “The Destroyer” deal falls under that pact. Smith’s very first produced TV script, the 2015 “Better Call Saul” episode “Five-O,” earned Smith a writing Emmy nomination, with the “Chicanery“ 2016 episode landing him a second Emmy nomination. Smith also shared in “Better Call Saul‘s” 2016 and 2017 WGA nominations for best drama and best new series.
“The Destroyer” book series has sold over 50 million copies worldwide and has been translated to 40 languages. There are currently over 150 books in the series.The show will utilize the large library of books to create a cohesive and iconic international action/adventure universe, and will retain the sardonic humor of the books.
“The Destroyer” series has been previously adapted to the cult favorite motion picture “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins” which was released in 1988 and also a series of successful Marvel Comics large format magazines. Most recently, writer/director Shane Black was attached to a feature film reboot at Sony Pictures.
Smith is repped by Blue Marbel Management’s Theresa Kang and law firm of Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole. Askarieh is repped at law firm of Lichter, Grossman, Nichols & Adler.