'Black', A Comic Set In A World Where Only Black People Have Superpowers, Becoming A Warner Bros. Movie

Warner Bros. is turning comic series Black into a movie. The comic, from co-creators Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3, is set in a world where only Black people have superpowers. It's an intriguing concept and it's bound to elicit more than a few opinions. The film project was first announced back in 2018, with Studio 8 handling the details. Now, Studio 8 is reporting that Warner Bros. is on board.

Deadline has the story about Black, a new film from Warner Bros. based on a comic book set in a world where only Black people have superpowers. The comic hails from co-creators Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3, with Osajyefo coming up with the concept over a decade ago, and then subsequently raising over $90,000 for the comic via Kickstarter.

At the start of the story, "After miraculously surviving being gunned down by police, a young man learns that he is part of the biggest lie in history. Now he must decide whether it's safer to keep it a secret or if the truth will set him free." Again: this is a really unique idea, and I also expect it to raise a few eyebrows. Very curious to see what Warner Bros. does with the project. Bryan Edward Hill wrote the script, with the logline stating that the plot follows "one young man who survives a violent event and realizes that he is part of these extraordinary people, but a secret consortium wants to control these abilities and those who possess them, and he soon finds himself at the center of a war over the future of mankind itself."

"Part of the inspiration for Black came from my experiencing the lack of representation in comics publishing and how that directly relates to the scarceness of black characters," said Osajyefo. "For most of comics' history, white outcasts have been used as allegories for marginalized groups while claiming to reflect the world outside our window. Black strips away this veneer to juxtapose superpowers with race while allowing black people to see ourselves authentically in media and inviting wider audiences into parts of our experience. We're excited to bring this story to everyone through film, and thankful to Studio 8 for believing in it."

Studio 8 CEO Jeff Robinov added: "Black represents a new generation of storytellers and creators who can accurately tell black stories with the type of care the industry has lacked for decades. The thought-provoking concept caught our attention early on, and we're proud to play a role in bringing this story to the screen."

Jeff Robinov, Guy Danella, and John Graham will produce from Studio 8 with Black Mask Studio's Matteo Pizzolo and Brett Gurewitz serving as producer and executive producer, respectively. Osajyefo and Smith will also co-produce.