Keanu Reeves’s BRZRKR comic will be adapted for both a live-action feature film and anime series at Netflix. The comic, written by Reeves and Matt Kindt and illustrated by Ron Garney, launched its first issue of a twelve-issue limited run on March 3. It seems that BRZRKR will now be spun out into a much larger multimedia franchise.
Published by BOOM! Studios, BRZRKR follows the violent escapades of “B,” an immortal warrior cursed to battle across the Earth for 80,000 years, eventually becoming an agent of the United States Government. Reeves conceived the original idea for the story, and the character of B is visually based on him. In many ways, BRZRKR seems to carry the same unstoppable action hero motifs Reeves has become famous for since John Wick, only onto the comics page instead of the cinema screen.
According to Netflix, however, BRZRKR won’t be just a comic for much longer. In an official press release, the streamer announced that it has acquired the adaptation rights for BRZRKR and is developing both a live-action film and a spinoff anime series based on it. Reeves will star in and produce the movie and voice the character of B in the anime. Ross Richie and Stephen Christy will also produce for BOOM! Studios, and Stephen Hamel will produce for Company Films. No additional casting news or release information has been released at this time.
Since the first John Wick became a massive hit, Keanu Reeves has experienced a massive resurgence in popularity. From blockbuster action films to internet memes, he’s become one of the most popular modern figures in pop culture. The retro action stylings of BRZRKR fit perfectly with the brand Reeves has cultivated in recent years, and the character of B even seems in many ways like an immortal version of John Wick.
As the streaming wars heat up between Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros., ViacomCBS, and other competitors, developing franchises that can sustain multiple entries and spinoffs has become increasingly important. It looks like Netflix is hoping BRZRKR can become such a brand, and with Reeves leading the way, it certainly has a lot of potential. With The Matrix 4 and John Wick Chapter 4 both on the horizon as well, there’s lots for fans of Keanu Reeves to get excited about in the near future. With luck, BRZRKR could deliver the same quality of stylish action as Reeve’s past films.
Source: Netflix