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Canada’s Entertainment One is developing an action-adventure series based on the Japanese manga comic Black Jack.
Black Jack
The indie studio yesterday it has picked up the rights to develop a series based on the 1970s property, following a pitch by the US writing duo Marty Scott and Toni Kotite.
Scott and Kotite, represented by Artist International (AI), most recently sold their spec pilot Cannon Fire to 20th Century Fox and penned the comedy feature Parent Class for Overbrook Films.
Dave Brown and Zadoc Angell of AI, who packaged the project, will executive produce with Taka Ichise and Doug Davison, who previously teamed on adaptations of the Japanese movies The Ring and The Grudge.
eOne will handle worldwide rights for all media, and the creative team will pitch the series to US networks. The live-action series will be aimed at adults.
Black Jack was first introduced to Japanese readers in the 1970s by noted artist/author Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy). Its title character is a famous detective/doctor who helps the government fight biological and terrorist threats. It has been adapted for the small screen before by Tezuka Productions, including two animated series and two telemovies.
In other news, Food Network in Canada will premiere a new desert-themed series from eOne later this month. SugarStars is eOne’s first show on Food Network Canada and will debut on Monday August 27.
The series follows the desert makers at Toronto-based Petite & Sweet and will be distributed internationally by eOne. It’s the latest unscripted commission for eOne, which is also working on Builder Boss for HGTV, Party Mamas for Slice and Wealth TV in the US and Mega Builders for Discovery.
