‘Twisted Metal’: Anthony Mackie To Star In Action-Comedy Adaptation For Peacock
Anthony Mackie has landed a new leading role on Peacock as the US streaming service announces a live-action series adaptation of the video game ‘Twisted Metal‘.
Mackie plays John Doe, a smart-ass milkman who talks as fast as he drives. With no memory of his past, John gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make his wish of finding community come true, but only if he can survive an onslaught of savage vehicular combat.
Based on the classic PlayStation game series, the half-hour live-action TV series is a high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Zombieland). The series follows a motor-mouthed outsider who is offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.
“Twisted Metal has been a global phenomenon for more than 25 years but it was the creative vision for this live-action adaptation, led by Michael Jonathan Smith, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, that blew us away. Also, Anthony Mackie starring made it undeniable!” commented Lisa Katz, president of scripted content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “This adrenaline-infused comedy series is in expert hands with our partners at Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television, and will be the perfect addition to Peacock as we continue to look for uniquely entertaining programs.”
Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai) will serve as showrunner, writer and executive producer for the live-action comedy from Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Will Arnett and Marc Forman from Electric Avenue (Murderville), who secured the rights to the material and helped put the project together from the beginning, are also set to executive produce, along with Mackie.
“We are thrilled that our first series with our good friends at Peacock is with our amazing partners at Electric Avenue, Universal Television and colleagues at PlayStation Productions,” adds Jeff Frost, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios and Jason Clodfelter, co-President, Sony Pictures Television Studios. “Michael Jonathan Smith and Rhett and Paul have ingeniously brought this high-action comedy to life and we are so fortunate to have Anthony at the centre of the show. We look forward to this incredible team blowing audiences away with this twisted and inventive concept.”
Mackie is, of course, best known for his role as Sam Wilson in multiple films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most notably ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, ‘Captain America: Civil War’, as well as the Avengers films. The character recently switched roles due to the events of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ miniseries, which saw Wilson take over the role of Captain America. Mackie is due to reprise the superhero in the highly anticipated ‘Captain America 4’ movie. His other roles include ‘The Hurt Locker’, ‘Outside the Wire’, and Season 2 of the Netflix series ‘Altered Carbon’.
‘Twisted Metal‘ does not yet have a premiere date, but will air on Peacock in the USA. As it’s a co-production with Sony, it’s unclear if that means it’ll also air on Peacock UK, or go somewhere else, but we’ll let you know when we hear more. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
