“Boy Kills World,” the upcoming martial arts action film starring Bill Skarsgård as a deaf boy trained to enact vengeance on those who murdered his family, is getting a TV spinoff. Of sorts.
“Super Dragon Punch Force 3,” the real-life action-packed fighter video game that features in the film (and will launch day-and-date with the U.S. and global release of “Boy Kills World” on April 26), is being used as inspiration for a newly greenlit animation TV series. Now in development, the show, which is set to dive into the universe of the game, will follow a highly-skilled yet dysfunctional team of misfits as they fight to defend their world from sentient robots, an ancient network of cultists and other intergalactic threats.
Mario Carvalhal, whose most recent credits include the Apple TV+ and Skydance’s animated series “The Search for Wondla” and the horror thriller “Browse” starring Lukas Haas, has been attached as a writer.
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The as-yet-unnamed project comes from South African game design studio Talent Digital Art in partnership with “Boy Kills World” studio Nthibah Pictures, and was announced by Wayne Fitzjohn, chairman of Nthibah Pictures and founder and CEO of Talent10 Holdings. Both Nthibah Pictures and Talent Digital Art are subsidiaries of the Talent10 Holdings Investment Group.
Carvalhal is co-writing the new television series with Judd Fitzjohn (“Redeeming Love,” “Boy Kills World”), creative director at Talent Digital Art, and the creator responsible for bringing the “Super Dragon Punch Force 3” world to life. Producers are Fitzjohn and Nthibah Pictures CEO Simon Swart.
“I’m delighted that the stars have aligned and I was able to assemble this dream team to bring the ‘Super Dragon Punch Force 3’ universe to the next level,” Fitzjohn said in a statement. “There’s no question Mario’s exceptional writing talents will breathe life into this wildly imaginative series, and we can’t wait for cameras to roll on this exciting project.”
Added Carvalhal, “I’m thrilled to join this remarkably talented team to help bring this unique and fantastical world to life. Wayne and Judd’s distinct vision make them the ideal creative partners on this cosmic collaboration — TV viewers are in for a wild ride.”
Alongside “The Search for Wondla” and “Browse,” Carvalhal has penned multiple features for Bazelevs, the U.S. production company of Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted,” “Night Watch”) and is currently working on his directorial debut with producer Paulo Branco (“Cosmopolis,” “Mysteries of Lisbon”). He began his career as a writer’s assistant to screenwriter Michael Bacall, contributing to his projects including “Project X,” “21 Jump Street” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”
“Boy Kills World” — which also stars Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman and Andrew Koji and is produced by Nthibah Pictures in partnership with Sam Raimi of Raimi Productions and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment — is being released April 26 through Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. “Super Dragon Punch Force 3” is the first AAA title developed by Talent Digital Art.