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Fox Green Lights Production on Superhero Drama ‘Black Lightning’ from Mara Brock Akil

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: | Updated on January 22, 2018 CommentsComments (0)
Black Lightning (DC Comics)

Black Lightning (DC Comics)

DC Comics superhero Black Lightning could end up on the small screen. Akil Productions will transform the Black character’s story into a drama for Fox.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio that produced “Being Mary Jane” got the green light for a pilot.

The series focuses on Jefferson Pierce, who put his suit and covert status to pasture years ago. But then, his daughter is revved up for justice, and a top-notch student gets recruited by a gang. Jefferson is ultimately forced to ditch his high school principal position and resume his role as Black Lightning.

Should Fox pick it up, each episode will run an hour long.

Husband and wife team Salim and Mara Brock Akil are behind their namesake production company. They will team with Greg Berlanti on the project. Berlanti is very familiar with the superhero genre. “Supergirl” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow ” are two of his recent projects for The CW network.

Berlanti and his CW partner Sarah Schechter will share executive producer credits with the Akils, who will also serve as writers.

The series is an adaptation of the comic that debuted in 1977. Black Lightning was created by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden as one of DC’s first major Black superheroes.

The developing show follows an exciting year of Black comic book characters arriving on movie screens. Fans cheered when the first look at Black Panther arrived in the Captain America: Civil War trailer in March. And many applauded reports that Disney Channel star Zendaya was cast as Mary Jane in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, Spider-Man: Homecoming.

In addition, new Black superheroes are emerging.

Iron Man creator and writer Brian Michael Bendis revealed Black genius Riri Williams will take over for  Tony Stark in Marvel’s Civil War II series.

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