DEADLINE | Mike Fleming Jr October 21, 2020
EXCLUSIVE: MGM has acquired screen rights to the female-driven comic book property Mercy Sparx, and set Nick Shafir to write the script. The Picture Company and Assemble Media are producing.
The title character is a female demon sent from Hell to Earth on a mission, which she must complete while hiding among humans. On earth, Mercy has an existential crisis and begins to see the gray area between good and evil. It forces her to choose her place within it and compromises her mission. Shafir’s script is said to be akin to a female Constantine, the adaptation that starred Keanu Reeves several years ago.
Created by Josh Blaylock, the comic book has become a cult favorite among fans since its debut ten years ago through Devil’s Due Publishing, and the studio sees this as a franchise with an empowering female character at the center.
Jack Heller of Assemble will produce along with The Picture Company partners Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona. Comic creator Blaylock will exec produce along with Assemble’s Scott Veltri. Heller and Assemble developed the script and controlled the rights to the property, then partnered with The Picture Company.
MGM’s Elishia Holmes will oversee the project for the studio along with Sandino Moya-Smith. The Picture Company recently completed production on Studiocanal thriller Gunpowder Milkshake, which stars Karen Gillan and will be distributed by STX. The company also has Amblin Partner’s horror film Come Play hitting theaters next month.
Assemble premiered at Venice the Gia Coppola-directed Mainstream starring Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawke, and recently set at Netflix Most Likely, based on an idea by Heller that Charlie Kesslering is scripting.
UTA and Zero Gravity rep Shafir; Assemble is repped by Josh Sandler of Granderson Des Rochers.
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