John Boyega is set to star and executive produce a television series prequel to the 2010 post-apocalyptic action film The Book of Eli, which originally featured Denzel Washington in the title role. The details were first reported by Deadline.
The upcoming series, currently in development, will explore the backstory of Washington’s character in the original film. Boyega (Attack the Block, the Star Wars sequel trilogy) is slated to portray a younger Eli, collaborating with Gary Whitta (the original film’s writer) and the directing duo Albert and Allen Hughes. Set 30 years before the original movie, the series will take place during or roughly around the immediate aftermath of a nuclear catastrophe. If you need your memory jogged, check out the original film’s trailer below.
The original film followed Eli, a nomad navigating a post-apocalyptic America, safeguarding a sacred book crucial to humanity’s salvation. The film, which also starred Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis, received mixed reviews but was a box-office success, earning $157.1 million worldwide on an $80 million budget.
The TV adaptation is notable in that it stands out amid a premium TV marketplace that is still cautious since the end of the Hollywood strikes. The prequel is part of Alcon Entertainment’s TV slate, which includes the upcoming Prime Video series Blade Runner 2099, set 50 years after Blade Runner 2049.
