Cassandra Clare's 'The Mortal Instruments' Coming Back As TV Series
After its disappointing movie ticket sales, "The Mortal Instruments" is still coming back. However, instead of coming back as a movie, it's coming back as a new television series. Constantin Film, the production company behind the launching of "The Mortal Isntruments: City of Bones" film, which controls the rights to this best-selling YA fantasy book series by Cassandra Clare, has confirmed that the franchise will be turned into a high-end drama series.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Constantin Film already hired Ed Decter, the renowned writer/producer behind the TV series "Helix," "Unforgettable," "In Plain Sight" and "The Client List," to be the show runner for the planned "Mortal Instruments" TV series. Production is also said to start next year, even though there are still no confirmed broadcast partners.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Constantin initially planned to turn the fantasy series into a feature film franchise, similar to other YA books turned to movies such as "Twilight" and "Hunger Games," but had to change course when the first film starring Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower did not do so well at the box office. It only managed to earn $31 million in the United States. While this is below expectations, it was not enough for Constantin to totally abandon the franchise. The company's decision to turn it into a TV series was also not because they had no other choice. For the production company, the decision makes a lot of sense.
"It actually makes sense to do (the novels) as a TV series," Constantin film and TV head Martin Moszkowicz shared to The Hollywood Reporer. "There was so much from the book that we had to leave out of the 'Mortal Instruments' film. In the series we'll be able to go deeper and explore this world in greater detail and depth," the head added.
"The Mortal Instruments" series is not the only one that Constantin plans to make into a TV series. The German-based company is really focused into making a lot of possible English-language television series from famous movies as well. Examples of these are the serial killer drama "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" and the "Resident Evil" sci-fi horror franchise.