Netflix puts up Gerard Way’s Umbrella

Netflix has commissioned a series based on comics and graphic novels created and written by Gerard Way, the former lead singer of US rock band My Chemical Romance.

Cindy Holland

Live-action series The Umbrella Academy will begin streaming on Netflix worldwide in 2018 and comes from Universal Cable Productions and Dark Horse Entertainment.

The 10-episode series is based on comics and graphic novels created and written by Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá that follow the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes.

The group work together to solve their father’s mysterious death while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities.

“What drew us to The Umbrella Academy is that it’s wholly unique, visual and stylised,” said Cindy Holland, VP of original content for Netflix.

“These aren’t the usual superheroes, and this series will embrace the singular tone of the graphic novels: dark yet humorous, supernatural yet grounded in reality.”

Steve Blackman (Fargo, Altered Carbon) will serve as executive producer and showrunner, with additional executive producers Bluegrass Television plus Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg from Dark Horse Entertainment.

Way, whose band My Chemical Romance broke up in 2013, will serve as co-executive producer. The pilot script was adapted from the comic book series by Jeremy Slater (The Exorcist).