Speaking with The Direct about the fate of the potential new franchise, director Derek Kolstad said of the TV adaptation of Hitman in development at Hulu: “It’s dead in the water.” The possible series, intended to bring to life the video game of the same name, was first announced in November 2017, with Hulu and Fox 21 Television Studios, which has been renamed Touchstone Television under Disney’s leadership, set to produce it. At the time, Kolstad, best known as the mind behind the John Wick franchise, was set to write the pilot, which never saw the light of day.
Kolstad went on to elaborate on his feelings and the reasons the project was shelved after so long awaiting development. “I love that thing, because I love that game and I love that character. But the problem is, I can write a screenplay, but no one’s going to go out and buy the screenplay. You’ve got to make the movie, you’ve got to make the show. But nothing’s happening with that man, sadly,” he said. And it’s not an incorrect read on the situation, especially considering all of the other adaptations that have been scrapped or prematurely cancelled (we’re still mourning Wheel of Time).
So far, the Hitman franchise has had two failed attempts at on-screen adaptations. The first was a film that debuted in 2007, starring Timothy Olyphant (Santa Clarita Diet, Justified), which earned a paltry 17% on Rotten Tomatoes (wrongly, we might add). The second was Hitman: Agent 47, which came out in 2015, and attempted to tell an origin story, but couldn’t muster more than an 8% with critics. But now it seems that the games will never have the series, television, or film that their story deserves. However, it is worth noting that the franchise will be releasing a third Hitman game sometime in the future.
