One of the most prolific TV producers of the past 25 years, Greg Berlanti almost single-handedly kept The CW afloat as a co-creator of DC’s expansive and interconnected Arrowverse and its many superhero dramas, and he’s also helped usher in other brainy comic book series such as Doom Patrol, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Titans and Dead Boy Detectives. (Among many other youth-skewing series.) Now, he’s set to tackle one of my favorite comic books of the 2020s at Amazon, and is teaming with a writer from HBO’s Emmy-winning Watchmen for it.
Berlanti actually now has three different TV projects all going forward at the same time, as another one of his co-developed series — Netflix’s You — recently wrapped its fifth and final season with what star Penn Badgley called a “truly appropriate end.” But the one I’m most interested in is his latest comic adaptation, the horror-thriller Stillwater, which he’ll be bringing to live-action alongside Watchmen’s Carly Wray, who’s also written for The Leftovers, Mad Men and Westworld.
What Is Stillwater?
Not to be confused with the 2021 Matt Damon film or the 2020-2023 TV series of the same name, Stillwater is an Image Comics series co-created by the always excellent writer Chip Zdarsky (Batman, Howard the Duck) and stellar artist Ramon K. Perez (Hawkeye, Jim Henson’s Tales of Sand). The series launched in the thick of the COVID pandemic in September 2020, and its story is somewhat reflective of that segregated time.
You see, the town of Stillwater is quite special to those who inhabit it, and it isn’t exactly easy to stumble across for anyone who isn’t looking for it. For those who die within the town boundaries do not stay dead, no matter what manner of execution they face. This isn’t a zombie tale, however, as the residents come back the same as they were before, without any feral brain-seeking behavior on display.
When ex-con Daniel West suddenly shows up in town, it’s discovered he has a long history with some of its citizens, whose good, bad, and ugly sides come out in full. Some are aiming to maintain the seemingly supernatural effects keeping everyone immortal, while others seek to better understand and reverse that distinction.
It’s a solid premise that, while genre-tethered and supernatural in ways, is very much a character-driven story that hinges largely on the melting pot of Stillwater’s undying population. Berlanti and Wray may not be known for crafting super-gory content, but this would be a perfect project for them to go that route.
Berlanti and Wray penned the script for their Stillwater pilot, which will hopefully one day be stream-worthy for fans with Amazon Prime subscriptions, assuming it makes it all the way to series. The streaming platform earned a shot at adapting the comic after winning a bidding war, per Deadline, with Walking Dead studio Skybound Entertainment producing.
Comic scribe Chip Zdarsky will be on board as an executive producer through Skybound, whose head of TV Glenn Gellar was the genius who approached Greg Berlanti with Stillwater two years prior, as the latter was still working on Superman & Lois. The Arrowverse ties run deep there as well, with Gellar having been CBS' President of Entertainment for the single season where Berlanti's Supergirl aired on the network before moving to The CW.
Don't be shocked to see Greg Berlanti's name all over the place anew in the near future. Beyond Stillwater, his and Bash Doran's spec script for the novel adaptation Foster Dade was reportedly bought up by Hulu with the hopes for a pilot order to follow. As well, he is in negotiations with Max for another untitled new series, this one within the family drama realm that hearkens back to his work on Dawson's Creek and Everwood.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
