Netflix and AMC Studios are set to co-produce the drama series “Bannerman,” Variety has learned. The series is based on John R. Maxim’s Paul Bannerman novels, of which five were published.
This marks the first Netflix/AMC Studios co-production. The show will air on AMC in the US and Canada and then become available on Netflix in those markets 90 days after the season finale. Netflix and AMC together will premiere each episode in Australia, New Zealand and Spain. Netflix will air the show exclusively in all other territories.
The logline for “Bannerman” states, “Paul Bannerman, a lethal covert operative, convinces a group of the world’s most deadly assassins to quit the spy game for a chance to lead normal lives in the suburbs of Connecticut. Old enemies, bad habits, a paranoid government and an unrelenting ex-cop will make retirement their most difficult mission yet.”
Shane Black co-wrote the first episode with Craig Silverstein. Both serve as executive producers, with Silverstein also showrunning and with Black also directing. Greg Nicotero (“The Walking Dead,” “Creepshow,” “Pulp Fiction”) and Brian Witten (“Creepshow”) also executive produce. AMC Studios is the lead studio.
“’Bannerman’ is a smart, high-octane thrill ride of a series, powered by an extraordinary creative team,” said Dan McDermott, chief content officer of AMC Global Media and president of AMC Studios. “This is the perfect premium drama to kick off our first co-production with Netflix, and we are thrilled to continue evolving and expanding our partnership by jointly developing and producing select original series for our respective platforms.”
The first Bannerman novel, “The Bannerman Solution,” was published in 1989. That was followed by “The Bannerman Effect,” “Bannerman’s Law,” and “Bannerman’s Promise.” The final novel, “Bannerman’s Ghosts,” came out in 2003.
Silverstein previously created the AMC series “Turn: Washington’s Spies” as well as the animated AMC series “Pantheon.” He is also known for creating or co-creating shows like “Terra Nova” and “Nikkita,” while his other credits include “Bones,” “The Old Man.” He is an executive producer and co-showrunner on Disney+’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.”
“Bannerman” marks the first TV writing credit of Black’s career, though he did receive a credit for creating the character’s on which Fox’s “Lethal Weapon” TV show was based. Aside from “Lethal Weapon,” he is known for writing movies like “The Nice Guys,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “Iron Man 3,” and “Last Action Hero.”
Silverstein is repped by WME and Hansen Jacobson. Black is repped by WME, Greenlit, and Eric Brooks. Nicotero is repped by UTA, Mosaic, and JSSK. Witten is repped by UTA and Mosaic.
This marks the latest example of a TV show based on a multi-part book series. Streamers have found great success with such shows in recent years, including hits like “Bridgerton” (Netflix), “The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix), “Virgin River” (Netflix), “Reacher” (Amazon), “Slow Horses” (Apple TV), and “Off Campus” (Amazon).