Sylvester Stallone set to turn hit serial killer novel series into TV show — here’s everything to know
Sylvester Stallone is stepping into television once again. But this time, he is trading mob bosses and boxing rings for a serial killer story that already has a loyal fanbase in the literary world. The Hollywood veteran has officially attached himself to a television adaptation of the popular ‘4MK’ thriller novels written by J. D. Barker, according to Deadline. The project is currently being developed through Balboa Productions, Stallone’s production banner. The planned series will pull material from Barker’s bestselling books ‘The Fourth Monkey’, ‘The Fifth to Die’, and ‘The Sixth Wicked Child’, while also setting the stage for Barker’s upcoming prequel novels. The first of those prequels, titled ‘The First Scarlet Door’, is scheduled to release on September 22.
EXCLUSIVE: Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions is teaming with Channing Powell to develop a series adaptation of the ‘4MK’ books by J.D. Barker https://t.co/s0B26sprGW
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) May 19, 2026
Barker announced the book earlier this year, though the remaining two installments in the trilogy still do not have release dates attached to them. Even so, it looks like the ‘4MK’ universe is about to get a lot bigger. Rather than simply attaching his name and stepping aside, Stallone appears genuinely enthusiastic about the project. In a statement shared with the publication alongside the announcement, the actor praised the fictional world Barker created and hinted that the story has exactly the kind of ingredients television audiences are hungry for right now. In his words, “J.D. Barker has created a world with enormous scale, real danger, a ruthless narrative engine and the kind of mythology that is tailor-made for premium television.” The adaptation is also bringing in some experienced individuals behind the scenes.
Channing Powell has signed on as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Powell previously worked on ‘From’ and co-created ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’. She will executive produce the series alongside D. Matt Geller, Christian Bersani, and Stallone. Powell apparently did not need much convincing to join the project. She explained, “What drew me to ‘4MK’ immediately was its intensity, its intelligence and the way it keeps tightening the screws until you can barely breathe.” Barker himself also seems excited to have his story move to television screens. The author described the series as a “relentless, psychologically charged ride, one where every revelation cuts deeper, every secret carries a cost and every character is forced to confront the darkest parts of themselves.”
For people unfamiliar with the novels, the story is set in Chicago and follows Detective Sam Porter as he hunts a murderer known as the Four Monkey Killer. The criminal earns that nickname because of the disturbing ritual connected to the phrase “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.” Victims are mutilated in ways tied to those words, and the investigation slowly reveals connections to corruption and hidden crimes. The killer is not randomly selecting targets either, which only makes the case more disturbing as the story moves forward. At the moment, there is no release window attached to the ‘4MK’ adaptation, and casting announcements have not arrived yet either.
