American Jesus – Comic book adaptations have been Hollywood’s most profitable source of cash for more than a decade.

Any suggestion of a comic book adaptation conjures up images of Marvel or DC for casual viewers.

Independent comics, on the other hand, have existed for as long as the two comic titans.

Wanted, Kingsman, and Kick-Ass have all gained mainstream success, yet few understand they were all inspired by comic book pages – and by the same writer, no less: Mark Millar.

Another adaptation of Millar’s work is in the works, this time of American Jesus, one of his most underappreciated works.

The comic

Mark Millar’s American Jesus, originally named Chosen, is one of his most interesting and contentious works.

The first book in the series, Dark Horse Comics, was published in 2004 and illustrated by Peter Gross.

The three-chapter graphic novel follows a twelve-year-old kid who survives an accident.

He understands immediately that he is the resurrected Jesus Christ, capable of turning water into wine, curing the sick, and reviving the dead.

Yet, the second coming of Christ coincides with the oncoming and unavoidable catastrophe.

The comic book series was then reissued under the now-famous title American Jesus.

Millar eventually followed up with American Jesus: The New Messiah, a 15-year-later sequel series.

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The adaptation

Major studios have previously adapted Mark Millar’s books into cinema.

He has already had two solo films as well as two Marvel flicks released in theaters (Logan was based on his Old Man Logan comic).

American Jesus had been in the works for quite some time.

Netflix scooped up his Millarworld imprint after acquiring it in 2017.

The program has been in development for some time.

Rather than properly translating American Jesus, Netflix opted to make alterations to the series, purportedly with Millar’s approval.

The first slate of adaptations was unveiled a year following the acquisition of Millarworld, with American Jesus among the top titles.

“Multilingual (Spanish/English) series American Jesus follows a twelve-year-old boy who suddenly discovers he’s returned as Jesus Chris,” the announcement wrote.

“He can turn water into wine, make the crippled walk, and, perhaps, even raise the dead. How will he deal with the destiny to lead the world in a conflict thousands of years in the making?”

It should be noted that The Chosen One (El Elegido in Spanish) will be unrelated to the Netflix Brazilian thriller series.

Production

The Chosen One is directed by Everardo Gout, who also directed the classic horror-thriller The Purge.

Gout is joined by his brother Leopoldo, who contributed to the series’ writing and production.

Mark Millar provided an upbeat outlook on production in 2021, saying:

“The development for ‘American Jesus’ is coming along beautifully in the talented and capable hands of Everardo Gout and Leopoldo Gout.”

“I’m blown away by the creative choices that Netflix has allowed us, and particularly since this series will feature Spanish and English dialogue.”

The Chosen One

According to author Mark Millar, development on an adaptation of American Jesus began in 2012, but it was initially presented as a film.

“Unusually for me, it’s a little more quiet and a little more considered,” he said when asked if it was leaning towards either horror or epic fantasy.

“The sequels are like that, too.”

The Chosen One, according to Millar, is a horror thriller with aspects of a coming-of-age story.

“[It] has a Stand by Me vibe, a kid like you or I who likes Star Wars, video games, and girls in his class suddenly finding out he has a tremendous destiny.”

“This is going to be an absolute beauty.”

As the first peek of The Chosen One, a billboard depicting the protagonist staring at a power line fashioned like a cross was revealed a few hours ago.

Tenoch Huerta from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Dianna Agron from Glee feature in The Chosen One.

Millarworld also announced the show’s premise:

“A little kid finds out that the reason his mother disappeared with him and they’re hiding out in a small town is because he’s the returned Jesus Christ and they’re doing everything they can to stay alive so he can grow up and face the Antichrist in the City of Megiddo as per the biblical prophecy.”

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