Chad Stahelski to Adapt Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger Novels into TV Series

EXCLUSIVE : Chad Stahelski, the acclaimed director of the John Wick franchise, has secured the rights to best-selling author Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series through his production company, 87Eleven Entertainment, with plans to adapt the thrilling novels into a television series.

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin, a Macmillan imprint, the Joe Ledger series spans 10 novels and includes various spin-offs. The protagonist, Joe Ledger, is a Baltimore detective with psychological scars. He is secretly recruited by the government to head a new task force, the Department of Military Sciences, which tackles terrorists wielding cutting-edge science weapons. Alongside his combat dog, Ghost, and a team of elite special operators, Joe confronts threats that no other team can handle.

“I really loved reading the Joe Ledger series. It’s an all-time epic action series with intrigue, suspense, and such engaging characters,” said Stahelski. “As I read it, I could see the immediate cinematic potential. I’m excited to be working with Jonathan to turn it into a TV series.”

Stahelski, initially known for his stunt work on The Matrix and The Crow , transitioned into directing with John Wick . He has directed all four chapters of the franchise and produced the latest installment.

“Chad’s career, both behind and in front of the camera, pretty much defines the kinds of things I love to watch. The Matrix, The Crow, John Wick – and so many others are solidly in my wheelhouse. And we’re both lifelong martial artists as well as professional pop-culture geeks,” Maberry said. “When we sat down for the first time to discuss Joe Ledger, it was clear that he not only read the books but deeply and empathetically understood the characters. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone in Hollywood whose mind runs along tracks this similar to my own. He’s also a visionary and a hell of a lot of fun. This is what they mean when they talk about ‘Hollywood magic’.”

87Eleven Entertainment has been behind other notable projects such as the Netflix vampire thriller Day Shift , starring Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, and Karla Souza. The company is also working on a remake of Highlander for Lionsgate with Henry Cavill, and Ghost of Tsushima (Sony/PlayStation), based on the action-adventure game set in feudal Japan.

Projects like Rainbow Six starring Michael B. Jordan, an adaptation of the Black Samurai novels (Netflix), Trevanian’s Shibumi (Warner Bros.), and Man From Nowhere (New Line) are also in development.

In the TV sector, 87Eleven Entertainment is working on the John Wick 4 sequel series Under the High Table for Lionsgate, as well as Project Nemesis and the Harvath Project, both at Sony Pictures Television. Stahelski is represented by WME, attorney Tara Kole, and Mortimer PR.

Maberry, a writer known for his diverse projects, has won five Bram Stoker Awards, four Scribe Awards, and the Inkpot Award. His work includes influences on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the Netflix adaptation of his vampire novels V-Wars . He is represented by Sara Crowe Literary, CAA, and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof + Fishman.

Source: Deadline