Bryan Talbot’s multi-award winning graphic novels: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire are being turned into a live action TV series by Three River Studios.
The graphic novels weave an apocalyptic tale across a multiverse in which many alternate versions of history exist parallel to one another.
With the ability to move between these ‘parallels’ by sheer force of will, Talbot’s hero, psychic secret agent Luther Arkwright, fights the malign influence of the Disruptors, a group who have manipulated humanity throughout history.
He is aided by fellow agent Rose Wylde, a telepath who can communicate with her many alternative selves across the multiverse.
The central plot of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright focuses on Arkwright’s battle with a fascist dictatorship in a parallel reality where Oliver Cromwell’s Puritans, secretly controlled by the Disruptors, never lost their grip on power.
The sequel Heart of Empire is set twenty-three years later and centres on Luther’s daughter Victoria, a princess and engineering genius who is heir to a globe-spanning British Empire.
Luther and Victoria face a new threat in the form of a twisted psychic horror hidden somewhere in the heart of the Empire’s capital.
The series is being produced by Jonathan Drake, CEO of Three River Studios, while Talbot will serve as an Executive Producer.
Drake said: “Bryan Talbot’s work is everything science fiction should be. He stands at the very beginning of a tradition that gave us the likes of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis – his works were then, and remain now, cutting edge.
“The best Sci-Fi always says something meaningful about the world or asks new questions about it. The Adventures of Luther Arkwright is unique for its time in being aimed squarely at adult readers, with a rich and sophisticated visual style that echoes some of the great auteur film makers.
“It thrills, challenges readers, and makes you think. Luther’s unique status as a traveller between parallel realities and his saviour-like qualities might liken him to Doctor Who – but an R-Rated version, that doesn’t shy away from sex, politics and the grim realities of violence.
“Bryan’s parallel worlds are woven together with a complex and consistent mythology, a rich array of human characters (never monster of the week!) and an eye for a much grander story and purpose.”
Bryan Talbot, creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright adds “I’m very excited that Three River Studios is working on a TV adaptation of the Luther Arkwright stories. With the digital technology at their disposal and a genuine love of the original, I’m very much looking forward to the series.”
