Several years ago, Fox 21 and Hulu announced that “John Wick” creator Derek Kolstad will write the pilot for a TV series based on the best-selling video game franchise “Hitman”.
Although the recent game trilogy has been highly acclaimed, the two “Hitman” films so far – one with Timothy Olyphant, the other with Rupert Friend – have been a disaster.
One thing they both had in common, however, is to make Agent 47 look right – that is, completely bald with a barcode on the back of his neck, a dark suit with a red tie and some elegant weapons.
Speaking to Collider recently, while doing promotional rounds for Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” series (which he also wrote), Kolstad talked more about his work by writing the first two scripts for the franchise, which will be more similar with Jason Bourne of the sounds of that. However, it will also have some classic influences from old school cinema:
“I did a lot like The Third Man’s encounter with Three Days in the Condor. You are introduced to a guy who is the killer we know from games, but he has a lot of hair and is independent. He has a manipulator, he has a life, he is very much the murderer of the early 80s, late 70s that we read in the books, right?
But at a certain point, he gets a show, and that show reveals the reality that no choice he made was his. And, of course, the show ends with him in a mirror, finding the barcode hidden under his skin.
Then, suddenly, it becomes a mystery of ‘who am I really?’ [Jason] Bourne did this excellently. This is more, ‘what is true about the people in my life? What was manufactured, what are thoughts, etc. ‘It’s nature versus creating everything. “
Kolstad is also an executive producer on the series, but it is unclear when this will happen as they are still looking for a showrunner. Kolstad will not assume this role, but says he will partner with the showrunner because: “I want to help build the car, take care of the box, hand over the keys to the driver and be there just to refuel and take care of the car.”