Grendel: Abubakr Ali to star in Dark Horse Comics adaptation at Netflix

If you thought Netflix was done tapping into beloved comic book properties, think again. The streamer has given an eight-episode series order to Grendel, a series based on Matt Wagner’s popular vigilante character. Set to star in the series is Abubakr Ali (Power Book II: Ghost, Katy Keene), who will be the first Arab Muslim male actor to portray a series lead in a comic book adaptation. The adaptation hails from Netflix’s first-look deal with Dark Horse Entertainment, which has set Resident Evil and Supernatural alum Andrew Dabb to write, showrun, and executive produce.

Per Deadline, Grendel follows Hunter Rose (Ali), a gifted fencer, writer, and assassin, seeking to avenge the death of a lost love. He goes to war with New York’s criminal underworld, only to realize…why beat them, when you can join them?

Also set to star in the series are Jaime Ray Newman (Dopesick, The Time Traveler’s Wife), Julian Black Antelope (The Flash, Debris), Madeline Zima (Californication, Hacks), Kevin Corrigan (Scenes from an Empty Church, The Get Down), Emma Ho (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Expanse), Erik Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Watchmen), Brittany Allen (What Keeps You Alive)and Andy Mientus (The Flash, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings).

With regard to who each actor will be playing: Newman will play Jocasta Rose, Black Antelope will appear as Argent, Zima will play Liz Sparks, Corrigan will step onto the scene as Barry Palumbo, Ho will play Stacy Palumbo, Palladino takes on Teddy Ciccone, Allen will star as Annebelle Wright, and Mientus will appear as Larry Stohler.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about the Grendel saga, one of the longest-running independent comics series, finally being translated into live-action for the screen,” said Wagner. “Under the sharp guidance of showrunner Andrew Dabb, our incredible creative team, sure-to-be stellar cast, and Dark Horse Entertainment have teamed with Netflix to produce this provocative adaptation that will bring my characters and concepts to an all-new audience and yet still provide excitement and surprises for die-hard fans. I’m especially excited to see Abubakr Ali bring the character of Grendel/Hunter Rose to life — he has the charisma, style, and vital edginess that I’ve been envisioning in the role for years.”

Netflix has already experienced a tremendous amount of success with Dark Horse’s The Umbrella Academy, so it’s no surprise that they’re looking to adopt another one of the publisher’s most celebrated properties. I’ve never read Grendel myself, but this announcement might be the kick in the ass I need to check it out.

Have you read Grendel? What do you think about Netflix making this their next big comic book adaptation? Are you excited to see Ali in the title role? Let us know in the comments section below.