DC Universe Orders Live-Action ‘Doom Patrol’ Series With Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns Producing
The upcoming DC-branded streaming service, DC Universe, has ordered the live-action series “Doom Patrol” for 13 episodes, Variety has learned.
Based on DC characters originally written and drawn by Arnold Drake, Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, the one-hour drama is described as a re-imagining of one of DC’s most beloved group of outcast Super Heroes: Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Girl and Crazy Jane, led by modern-day mad scientist Dr. Niles Caulder (The Chief).
The Doom Patrol’s members each suffered horrible accidents that gave them superhuman abilities but also left them scarred and disfigured. Traumatized and downtrodden, the team found purpose through The Chief, who brought them together to investigate the weirdest phenomena in existence and to protect Earth from what they find. Part support group, part Super Hero team, the Doom Patrol is a band of super-powered freaks who fight for a world that wants nothing to do with them. Picking up after the events of fellow DC Universe series “Titans,” “Doom Patrol” will find these reluctant heroes in a place they never expected to be, called to action by none other than Cyborg, who comes to them with a mission hard to refuse, but with a warning that is hard to ignore: their lives will never, ever be the same.
The series will be written by Jeremy Carver. Carver, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter of Berlanti Productions will exeecutive produce. Johns is the president and chief creative officer of DC Entertainment. Berlanti Productions will produce in association with Warner Bros. Television. The show will go into production later this year for a 2019 launch.
With this series order, Berlanti will now have 14 series on the air going into 2019. The incredibly prolific producer will have 10 shows on broadcast alone. Of those, six air on CW: returning shows “Arrow,” “The Flash,” Supergirl,” “Black Lighting,” “Legends of Tomorrow,” and “Riverdale;” and the new CW football drama “All American.”
CBS has ordered the Berlanti-produced dramas “God Friended Me” and “The Red Line,” and NBC has renewed “Blindspot” for a fourth season. Berlanti is also an executive producer on the upcoming shows “You” at Lifetime,” “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” at Netflix, and DC Universe’s “Titans.”
Carver, meanwhile, most recently developed the “Frequency” series for CW, as well as previously developing “Being Human.” He has also served as a writer and executive producer on “Supernatural.”
In addition to “Titans,” DC Universe is also developing a live-action “Swamp Thing” series, as well as a Superman prequel series titled “Metropolis.” The streaming service will also be home to Warner Bros. Animation’s “Harley Quinn” and “Young Justice: Outsiders.”
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