BBC Worldwide Productions and Quality Transmedia have announced they will be producing a historical fantasy motion comic series based on the best-selling comic book Peter Panzerfaust. The companies have secured rights to the title and will initially be producing the series for digital release, while concurrently working to develop Panzerfaust as a live action scripted series.
The project will be executive produced by BBC Worldwide Productions’ Senior Vice President of Scripted, Julie Gardner (Da Vinci’s Demons, Doctor Who, Torchwood), BBC Worldwide Productions’ Vice President of Digital, Dan Tischler (Gigi: Almost American, Torchwood: Web of Lies ) and Quality Transmedia’s Jeff Krelitz.
Panzerfaust,”by Kurtis J. Weibe and Tyler Jenkins, is a contemporary reimagining of the classic J.M. Barrie tale, “Peter Pan”. The ongoing comic book series, published by Image Comics, premiered last spring.
In Panzerfaust, Peter is an American freedom fighter in Nazi-occupied Europe at the outset of World War II. He partners with the Lost Boys, a ragtag group of orphans, to combat the Nazi threat, led by SS Captain Haken (aka Captain Hook).
“Panzerfaust was instantly appealing our team with its unique mixture of real historical elements combined with classic Peter Pan mythology,” commented Dan Tischler, VP, Digital, BBC Worldwide Productions. “This clever take on such an iconic story offers us an opportunity to take a comprehensive cross-platform approach to development, with the motion comic series being the ideal entry point to bring the concept to life.”
“When I read the material, I immediately knew the innovative and creative sensibilities of BBC Worldwide Productions would make them the perfect partner for this project,” said Quality Transmedia head, Jeff Krelitz. “This represents a fresh and smart way to explore the material and I’m looking forward to bringing Peter Panzerfaust to audiences through a variety of mediums.”
The motion comic format combines elements of comic book art, animation and voice over narration to bring the static comic book pages to life on screen. The format has gained popularity in recent years as a unique alternative to traditional animation with a distinct storytelling aesthetic of its own. This is the second collaboration for Jeff Krelitz and BBC Worldwide Productions, who previously worked together on Torchwood: Web of Lies, a companion prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day.
