Netflix adapts Man on Fire for TV with New Regency, Chernin Entertainment

Denzel Washington in feature film Man on Fire

Netflix has handed a series order to a remake of A J Quinnell’s book series Man on Fire, which was the subject of a popular 2004 movie of the same name led by Denzel Washington.

The eight-part TV adaptation is produced by New Regency Productions and Chernin Entertainment. It will be written and exec produced by Kyle Killen, who created and wrote the big-budget TV adaptation of video game Halo for Paramount+.

The new iteration of Man on Fire follows broken ex-mercenary John Creasy on a mission to avenge the death of his only friend, while protecting his fallen comrade’s daughter from the forces that destroyed her family.

Other exec producers on the project include: Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Bill McGoldrick and Juan Alfonso for Chernin Entertainment, which has an overall deal with Netflix; Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer for New Regency Productions; and Killen and Scott Pennington for Chapter 11.

New Regency Productions controls the rights to the IP and also produced and financed the 2004 movie adaptation. The feature film, directed by Tony Scott, grossed around US$130m on a budget of less than US$70m.