In the realm of bald anti-heroes, there are few more brutally lethal than Agent 47. The lead anti-hero of the Hitman series has racked up an insane body count in both the video game world and on the silver screen over the years, and it now looks like he's finally going to make his way to the TV screen as well. In fact, you're going to want to pull out your fiber wire and polish your silverballers, because a Hitman TV show is now in development with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad at the helm.
John Wick mastermind Derek Kolstad has been tapped to develop the Hitman series for Hulu. Specific plot details remain under wraps, but Deadline reports the Hitman show will skew much closer to the games than anything we've seen on the big screen, as far as mythology and lore are concerned. If that's the case, then we could be due for a genuinely ruthless take on the bald killer clone, as he accepts a variety of contracts from Diana at ICA and pulls them off with shocking efficiency. Kolstad is set to write the pilot episode of the series, and he will take on executive producing duties as well.
Injecting Derek Kolstad into the Hitman world of Agent 47 already seems like a match made in heaven when we consider his work on John Wick. The two properties share a ton of DNA, and given Kolstad's impressive work with Keanu Reeves' perpetually badass assassin, it doesn't seem entirely outlandish to assume that he can do the same with this chrome-domed anti-hero. After all, a scene from John Wick typically plays out like a typical Hitman mission.
That said, there is one big thing that Kolstad will need to note in his creation of a Hitman series: the emphasis on stealth over action. Film adaptations of Agent 47's adventures have often failed to figure this out, instead opting to give audiences loud gunfights and hand-to-hand melees. Action is something that does occur in the Hitman series, true, but it's typically something a player is forced into after making a mistake. If a Hitman TV series is in development, then it needs to remember that much of the excitement and charm of playing as Agent 47 comes from his ability to sneak around, steal clothing, and rig accidents -- not just his ability to pull off a headshot.
It's also worth mentioning that the Hitman show will need to help audiences completely forget about the franchise's film attempts. Both 2007's Hitman and 2015's Hitman: Agent 47 have been widely panned by critics and game fans, which could make the TV property a harder sell for casual audiences -- not unlike so many other video game properties. However, if Kolstad can deliver the same level of emotional intensity and badass action that worked in John Wick, then we can rest easy knowing that 47 is now in capable hands. Hell, this might even be more exciting than the John Wick TV show.
CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to the development of Derek Kolstad's Hitman series as new details are made available to us. Until we learn more about the video game-inspired Hulu project, you can check out our fall TV premiere guide and listen to The Cord Cutter Podcast to keep yourself up-to-date with everything that we have to say about the world of streaming content.
