Oscar-winning actress-turned-director Regina King has officially signed on to helm Legendary’s upcoming film adaptation of Bitter Root, based on Image Comics’ acclaimed comic book series. The project is being described as Get Out meets Blade which will center around a monster-hunting family in the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. In addition to directing, King will also be serving as a producer through her Royal Ties banner along with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler via Proximity Media.
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First published in 2018, Bitter Root is created by David F. Walker, Sanford Greene, and Chuck Brown. The story is set during the vibrant Harlem Renaissance of 1924 when a fractured family of once-great monster hunters faces an unimaginable evil that descends upon New York City. For generations, the Sangeryes have hunted and cured those infected by a supernatural force that feeds off the prejudice of the era, transforming human beings into hideous monsters. With most of the family dead, and the surviving Sangeryes at odds between saving or killing the creatures, they must overcome the wounds of the past in the hopes of thwarting an invasion.
Click here to purchase Bitter Root Vol. 1: Family Business!
The Legendary project has been in development since 2018 with Bryan Edward Hill, who also working on the Power Rangers movie, currently rewriting the script. The film adaptation will also be produced by Proximity Media’s Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian along with Royal Ties’ Reina King. Executive producers are creators Walker, Greene, and Brown alongside Drapetomedia’s Sean Owolo.
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Regina King’s first directorial effort One Night in Miami… earned her critical acclaim including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director. She is also no stranger to comic book adaptations as she previously starred in HBO’s Watchmen series which won her fourth Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series. She will next be seen in Netflix’s star-studded western film The Harder They Fall starring opposite Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield, and more.
