Ryan Coogler Producing Graphic Novel Adaptation ‘A Vicious Circle’

‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler to Produce Adaptation of ‘A Vicious Circle’

‘The Batman’ contributing writer Mattson Tomlin co-created the Boom! Studios graphic novel, which features time-travelling assassins hunting each other.

(Left) 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' director Ryan Coogler. (Right) Boom! Studios' 'A Vicious Circle.' Photo: Boom! Studios.

Preview:

Ryan Coogler will produce an adaptation of graphic novel ‘A Vicious Circle’
Mattson Tomlin co-created the book with artist Lee Bermejo.
Universal has scored the rights to the adaptation.

While he’s already at work on his next movie (an untitled supernatural period thriller starring regular collaborator Michael B. Jordan), director Ryan Coogler is also busy with his production company Proximity Media, picking up the rights to various projects and shepherding them to the screen.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the latest acquisition is ‘A Vicious Circle’ which will adapt the graphic novel created by Mattson Tomlin and artist Lee Bermejo.

What’s the story of ‘A Vicious Circle’?

Boom! Studios' 'A Vicious Circle.' Photo: Boom! Studios.

Described as a blend of ‘Looper’ and ‘John Wick’, the graphic novel follows Shawn Thacker, a trained assassin from the future who seeks revenge on the only other man with his affliction —each life they take forces them both to involuntarily travel between vastly different past and future eras.

Spanning from 22nd century Tokyo to 1950s New Orleans to the Cretaceous Era and beyond, the two mortal rivals are locked in a battle of wills that spans millions of years, all to alter the course of history.

The comic has been a sales hit for Boom! Studios, with more than 100,000 copies of the first two issues sold worldwide to date and the book translated in multiple languages. The first issue of the series, released in a prestige and oversized format in late 2022, was nominated for two Eisner Awards, including best single issue/one shot and best painter/multimedia artist for Bermejo.

Who is working on ‘A Vicious Circle’?

Alongside Coogler and his Proximity partners Sev Ohanian and Zinzi Coogler on the producers list is Boom!’s president of development Stephen Christy.

And Tomlin, who worked on ‘The Batman’ and has other experience (see below), is writing the script for the adaptation.

What else has Mattson Tomlin worked on?

Timothy Olyphant as The Terminator in 'Terminator Zero'.

Tomlin has been behind the likes of ‘Project Power’, ‘Little Fish’, and ‘Mother/Android’. He’s currently co-writing ‘The Batman' sequel with director Matt Reeves and is the showrunner for new Netflix animated series ‘Terminator Zero’.

What else has Ryan Coogler produced?

Along with his new movie, Coogler’s company is in post-production on Marvel’s ‘Ironheart’ series (bringing the comic book character introduced to the MCU in the director’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ to Disney+).

Proximity also produced the documentary ‘Homeroom’ with Hulu, co-produced ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated’ with Apple Original Films, A24 and Unanimous Media, and music documentary ‘Anthem’, with Onyx Collective.