A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay, who is also supposed to be directing DC Film’s New Gods movie, will now be developing an adaptation of DC Comics’ Naomi for The CW.
As reported by Deadline, Duvernay will team up with Arrow writer and co-executive producer Jill Blakenship to write and executive produce the series.
The show will reportedly “follow a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse. When a supernatural event shakes her hometown to the core, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, and what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes.”
Related: Rumor: Ava DuVernay’s New Gods May Cast Kathy Bates as Granny Goodness
DuVernay commented on the announcement on Twitter. She wrote, “Thanks DC Comics for believing in the vision. Barda. Zee Hernandez. Now, Naomi. The third DC project for Array Now. Working hard to bring these ladies to the screen. Thanks to Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker + my writing Jill Blankenship for joining me on NAOMI. Love her.”
The series will be based on Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and Jamal Campbell’s Naomi series which debuted in January 2019. The series lasted only six issues.
Walker responded to the announcement on Twitter writing, “Well, the cat is outta the bag. Super excited to have Ava DuVernay on board. I can’t think of anyone better to help Naomi make the transition from print to screen.”
Bendis added his own thoughts saying, “this is a day where all of you who supported Naomi McDuffie in print can be very proud. your LOUD support of what David F. Walker, Jamal Campbell, and I were reaching for got us here. Ava DuVernay and co. is gonna blow this out of the water.”
The debut issue only shipped a total of 25,252 issues according to Comichron. By its second issue, DC Comics would only ship 15,838 issues in February 2019. The series would continue to see its shipment decline with the fifth issue only shipping 5,108 copies.
However, the book would see a resurgence with its sixth and final issue. Comichron reports in July that issue shipped 35,307 copies beating out Marvel Comics’ Star Wars #69, which only shipped 35,178 copies.
In October 2019, the first six issues would be collected in a hardcover edition titled Naomi Season One HC. According to Comichron, it would only ship 2,916 units.
As for the actual series, the official description for Naomi #1 reads:
“When a fight between Superman and Mongul crashes into a small Northwestern town, Naomi (last name?) begins a quest to uncover the last time a super-powered person visited her home—and how that might tie into her own origins and adoption.
Follow Naomi’s journey on a quest that will take her to the heart of the DC Universe and unfold a universe of ideas and stories that have never been seen before. Join writers Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker and breakout artist Jamal Campbell in Wonder Comics’ massively ambitious new series and star…NAOMI.”
Here’s the official description for the collected hard cover:
“DC’s biggest, newest mystery starts here! When a fight between Superman and Mongul crashes into a small Northwestern town, Naomi begins to uncover the last time a super-powered person visited her home-and how that might tie into her own origins and adoption. Follow Naomi’s journey on a quest that will take her to the heart of the DC Universe and unfold a universe of ideas and stories that have never been seen before. Join writers Brian Michael Bendis and David Walker and breakout artist Jamal Campbell in Wonder Comics’ massively ambitious new series and star…Naomi. Collects NAOMI issues #1-6.”
Naomi would also make appearances in Young Justice as well as Bendis’ Action Comics series.
Are you interested in seeing what DuVernay will do Naomi?