Diving into DC: Theron to produce Aqualad origin story
Diving into DC: From “The Italian Job” (2003) to “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) and last year’s “F9: The Fast Saga,” Charlize Theron’s acting resume proves she’s no stranger to action roles. The “Hancock” (2008) actress hasn’t shied away from the superhero genre, either, having recently starred in and co-produced Netflix’s “The Old Guard” (2020).
Theron’s upcoming projects include “The Old Guard 2” and the sequel to the 2017 film “Atomic Blonde,” but the actress is also teaming up with HBO Max to produce a new live-action TV series based on a DC Comics character.
Envisioned as a one-hour dramedy, “You Brought Me the Ocean” is based on the young adult graphic novel of the same name by Alex Sanchez and Jul Maroh. It centers onJackson“Jake”Hyde,aBlack student who is navigating his sexuality alongside some less-thannormal emerging superpowers. Jake, who lives in New Mexico and doesn’t swim, suddenly yearns for the ocean, and his skin develops strange blue markings that glow whenever he comes into contact with water.
According to Variety, the series would serve as an Aqualad origin story, but its place within the DC Extended Universe is still unclear.
While Aqualad made his big comic book debut in 1960, the Jake Hyde (aka Kaldur’ahm) version of Aqualad was created in 2010 for the animated series “Young Justice.” HBO Max’s “Titans” featured the first iteration of that character, the Garth version of Aqualad (Drew Van Acker, “Pretty Little Liars”). All this means “You Brought Me the Ocean” would mark Jake’s first appearance in a live-action adaptation.
Theron is attached as executive producer via her Denver & Delilah Films production company, which landed a two-year first-look production deal with HBO and its streamer at the end of 2020.
Sammy’s story: It’s been in the works for a while, but Lee Daniels’ biography of Sammy Davis Jr. is now picking up steam.
The “Empire” co-creator has teamed up with Hulu to tell the story of the iconic Rat Pack entertainer in an eight-episode limited series. The streamer has officially given it the green light, and Daniels is set to direct the first two episodes.
The project has also found its lead. Elijah Kelley, who previously worked with Daniels in “Star” and “The Butler” (2013), has been tapped to play Davis Jr.
The series, tentatively titled “Sammy,” is based on the book “In Black and White:The Life of Sammy Davis Jr.” by Wil Haygood. It chronicles Davis Jr.’s career trajectory, from his beginnings as a child performer on the vaudeville stage, to his days as a hard-partying member of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack and subsequent (very public) scandals.
According to Hulu, the limited series will look at Davis Jr.’s life through the lens of his racial identity and relationship with the Black community. As stated, the project has been in development since at least 2013, when it was first reported that Daniels was working on an HBO original film. (The switch to a miniseries format was reported in 2019.)
In addition to his role as executive producer and episodic director, Daniels has teamed up with frequent collaborator Tom Westfall (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” 2021) to write the series.
Leading man Kelley will also be pulling double duty.An accomplished dancer and singer (his musical credits include the 2007 hit film
“Hairspray,” NBC’s 2015 film “The Wiz Live” and BET’s “The New Edition Story,” 2017), Kelley will also collaborate on some of the show’s original music.
In ‘The Ledger’: Xolo Maridueña, best known as Miguel Diaz, Johnny Lawrence’s (William Zabka, “The Karate Kid,” 1984) karate pupil in Netflix’s “Cobra Kai,” should experience a rise in star power over the next few years.
In addition to the Emmy-nominated “Cobra Kai,” Maridueña has several projects in the works, including the high-action half-hour series “The Ledger,” which was shopped to streamers and networks last fall.According to Variety, the project has now been set up for development at HBO Max, and Maridueña will star in the series and serve as one of its executive producers.
“The Ledger” is the story of Gabriel (Maridueña), a pupil who sets out to right the wrongs of his teacher. After taking the man’s ledger, Gabriel travels from town to town like an avenging angel, trying to turn things around for anyone negatively impacted by the actions of his former mentor.
Juan Carlos Coto, who is an executive producer on Fox’s hit series “9-1-1” and a consulting producer on “9-1-1: Lone Star,” has been tapped to write and executive produce “The Ledger.”
That said, the project is still in the early stages of development, so you’ll likely see Maridueña appear in Season 5 of “Cobra Kai” (filming already wrapped) or his upcoming DC superhero film, “Blue Beetle” (due to hit theatres in August 2023), before “The Ledger” makes it onto the small screen.