By As if the acclaimed filmmaker weren’t busy enough, hot off of her critically acclaimed docu-drama series When They See Us and her early work on DC’s New Gods, Ava DuVernay will be diving further into the world of comic books. Though this story hits closer to home, and doesn’t feature heroes in tights.
HBO Max, the upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service, has ordered an adaptation of DMZ, Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli’s Vertigo series about a second American Civil War that turns the island of Manhattan into, you guessed it, a demilitarized zone. Martial law and anarchy collide, as do bitter political divisions and resentment for the government. Sounds… awfully familiar.
The series comes from showrunner Roberto Patino, whose previous writing credits include Sons of Anarchy for FX and Westworld for HBO. DuVernay will direct the series pilot, with her production company Array Filmworks co-developing with Warner Bros.
DuVernay’s strong eye for developing real, socially-relevant stories makes her involvement with DMZ a strong choice, if not an alarming one, given the state of American politics. In a time where tensions run high, channeling discontent into art can sometimes be the most productive thing to do.
HBO Max Orders ‘DMZ’ Pilot, Ava DuVernay to Direct [Variety]