Is Robert Downey Jr working with DC now in 'Sweet Tooth' series adaptation on Netflix?
'Iron Man' star Robert Downey Jr is easily one of the biggest names associated with Marvel but now it appears he is going to be part of a DC project as well. However, this time around, RDJ won't be working in front of the camera but behind the scenes as an executive producer alongside his wife Susan Downey.
Jeff Lemire's 'Sweet Tooth', published by DC's Vertigo imprint, has reportedly been given a series order by Netflix. The show will be produced by the Downeys, Amanda Burrell ('Hot Cities'), and Linda Moran ('Funny Games'). According to reports, Jim Mickle ('Hap and Leonard') and Beth Schwartz ('Arrow') will serve as co-showrunners for the series.
Comic Book reports that the series, which was originally slated for release on Hulu, has now moved to Netflix, quoting scooper Daniel RPK. While the reports haven't been officially confirmed yet, Netflix has been building its list of comic book adaptations over the last few years so it makes sense that they would want to bag the highly acclaimed series for their original content library.
The Vertigo Comics series, which ran from 2009 to 2013, follows the adventures of Gus, a half-boy half-deer hybrid who sets out to explore the world outside his home only to find it devastated by an unknown event. It's a beautiful and at times disturbing coming-of-age story that sees Gus find a family of hybrids and humans who help him find answers behind the apocalyptic event.
In the process, he finds truths that rock him to his core and reveals a vast conspiracy that makes him question everything about himself and all that he has known. Interestingly enough, Lemire had expressed interest in seeing 'Sweet Tooth' adapted back in 2013 though he did say he would prefer a movie over a series.
"It's a tricky question, and I'll try to answer it in a way that won't get me in trouble with DC, but when you do a book for Vertigo, the contracts get kind of complicated," Lemire told Damon Lindelof in an interview for CBR. "Warner Bros. controls the properties more than a book that I might have done for, let's say, Top Shelf. So in terms of being optioned, it's a lot harder for that to happen because of Vertigo's contracts than I would like, maybe. There's a lot of interest, but it's very complicated so it hasn't been optioned yet."
"But yes, I would love to see it adapted." Lemire continued. "I think maybe more as a movie than a TV show. I think it could be really boiled down to the original idea I had, which was that the first 10 or 11 issues of the series could almost be the whole movie or the whole series. Everything else could be cut out. I just don't have the luxury of sitting around and thinking about that happening because it's out of my control, really."
We're still waiting on official confirmation from Netflix on whether 'Sweet Tooth' really has been picked up by the streaming giant but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as the information becomes available.