FOX executives must be pretty happy with what they’ve seen from Gotham so far, because they’ve given a pilot commitment to the DC and Vertigo Comics character Lucifer. According to Deadline, Californication creator and executive producer Tom Kapinos will write and produce the show.
For those unfamiliar, Lucifer Morningstar was a supporting character in Neil Gaiman’s Vertigo comic The Sandman, and eventually got his own spin-off written by Mike Carey. Based on the Devil, Lucifer one day abandons his job of ruling over Hell and instead adventures to Earth, Heaven, and other realms. The television series will stick pretty closely to the comics, as Deadline describes the approach to the series as follows:
“[The series] centers on Lucifer who, bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he opens an exclusive piano bar called Lux.”
That definitely sounds like an interesting direction for the show, as it manages to keep aspects of the character intact while adapting it in a way that makes sense in a live-action context. It’s certainly right up Kapinos’ alley as well, as seen by the levels of Los Angeles-set debauchery that filled Californication’s seven seasons.
If picked up for series, Lucifer joins a handful of other DC Comics adaptations on television. Arrow is currently heading into its third season on the CW, and has given way to a Flash spin-off. Those two shows are joined by iZombie, while Constantine and Gotham are set to premiere on NBC and Fox, respectively. Then there are shows currently in-development, like Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler’s Supergirl, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Preacher on AMC, and Akiva Goldsman’s Titans nearing a pilot order at TNT.
We’ll keep you updated on Lucifer as more details come in. In the meantime, let us know how you feel about this news and the proposed direction for the series in the comments below.