Syfy to Adapt Frank Miller's RONIN as a Miniseries
Syfy has announced that they will be bringing Frank Miller's amazing 1980s DC Comics graphic novel, Ronin, to the small screen. There was a time when director Darren Aronofsky tried to adapt the comic as a feature film, but unfortunately, it never happened. I would have loved to see Aronofsky's vision of this story brought to life. Syfy's plan is to turn it into a miniseries.
The comic was published over the course of six weeks between 1983-84. The original story centers on "a legendary warrior -- the Ronin, a dishonored, masterless 13th century samurai -- who is mystically given a second chance to avenge his master's death. He finds himself suddenly reborn in a futuristic and corrupt 21st century New York where he must defeat ancient demon Agat, the reincarnation of his master's killer."
According to THR, Syfy's take on the comic is set "eight centuries after a Japanese Ronin samurai failed to protect his master from a demon. He awakens in a futuristic, nihilistic New York in the body of Billy, a medical experiment. Now Billy/Ronin is chasing the demon, which has reawakened. Both parties want control of a sword with magical properties and will stop at nothing to get it back."
I always loved this comic because of its extremely cool story. I really wish that we had gotten a movie version of it. I always felt it deserved the big screen treatment — not just because the story is great, but because the visual style would be amazing. I hope that Syfy can give this comic the quality production value that it deserves. The channel has been hit and miss with their series, but this could be one of the best things they've ever done if they get the right talent involved.
The network is currently on the hunt for a writer, and there's no word on how many episodes the miniseries will be.