Anthony Mackie has signed on to lead the live-action series adaptation of Playstation video game franchise, Twisted Metal. The show, which is being developed by Playstation Productions, will be penned by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool).
Mackie will play John Doe, a fast-talking milkman with no recollection of where he came from, who gets the opportunity of a lifetime when told his greatest wish can be granted. All he has to do is deliver a package and his dream of a better life will be fulfilled.
However, he must deliver it across a wasteland of destruction with savages and a deranged clown in an ice cream truck hunting him down.
The Twisted Metal series has solid millions of copies since 1995. The games typically have players compete in increasingly insane vehicular tournaments, with the goal of destroying all other contestants in order to be victorious and win a once-in-a-lifetime wish, which usually comes with consequences.
The TV series will reportedly take the story out of the arena and onto the streets for something closer to a live-action action-comedy, but expect the deranged clown – known as Sweet Tooth – to be a major part of the show, as he is the iconic face of the series.
So we might be looking at something like Mortal Kombat meets IT but on the small screen, which could be interesting. Glen Adilman, EVP Comedy Development at Sony TV, said of Mackie’s involvement:
“We’ve been big fans of Anthony’s phenomenal body of work over the years and knew he was the only actor who could play a character as complex, funny, and compelling as John Doe. Fortunately for us, he agreed.”
There’s still no news on what network or streaming platform Twisted Metal will air, but having a star of Mackie’s stature should make it an easy sell. There’s also rumours that Will Arnett, who is an executive producer on the show, may play Sweet Tooth. Expect almost every streamer and channel to be interested.
Mackie recently starred in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, and has been confirmed to be leading Captain America 4, although there’s no news on when that’s expected to arrive.
#Peace.Love.TwistedMetal
