Blake Lively has signed on to star in Netflix’s adaptation of Dark Horse Comics’ acclaimed series, Lady Killer. Diablo Cody, who has previously written films such as Juno, Jennifer’s Body, and Young Adult, will pen the screenplay, while the streamer is still reportedly searching for a director.
Lady Killer was written by Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich. Jones also illustrated the series while Laura Allred worked as the colorist. It revolves around a 1950s housewife named Josie Schuller who has a dark secret. Ostensibly she seems like the stereotypical loving housewife, but she’s secretly a contract killer for a local mafia organization.
When her husband begins to suspect where she goes at night and her boss begins losing faith in her work, Josie fears she might become a target herself. The comic was met with critical acclaim when it was released back in 2015, getting nominated for Eisner Awards for Best Limited Series and Jones’ illustrations and cover art the next year.
This adaptation is little surprise for anyone that’s familiar with Netflix’s strategy. The streamer already has a first-look deal with Dark Horse, and has already led to major successes like The Umbrella Academy – one of the their most-viewed shows – and Jonas Åkerlund‘s film, Polar. Mystery Girl is another upcoming project stemming from the deal.
Comic book adaptations continue to be a profitable business, even if much of the audience hasn’t read the source material. Cody, thanks to her unique writing style, is a great choice to adapt. With Netflix essentially now being a ubiquitous streaming platform, Lady Killer will probably become one of their most-watched original films once it arrives.
Lively was last seen starring in action thriller The Rhythm Section. Cody has been working on her currently untitled Madonna biopic as well as the live-action Powerpuff Girls show for The CW.
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