Butterfly takes off at Amazon.
The retail giant and streamer has placed a series order for the scripted drama series based on Boom Studios’ graphic novel of the same name starring Daniel Dae Kim as the lead actor and exec producer.
The six-episode series is described as a spy thriller that explores family dynamics in the world of global espionage. The series revolves around David Jung, a former US intelligence agent living in South Korea whose life is shattered when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past continue to haunt him. He is pursued by Rebecca, a lethal, sociopathic young cop assigned to kill him.
Ken WoodruffThe mentalist, Gotham) will serve as showrunner and is credited as co-creator of the series along with Steph Cha. Arash Amel created the Butterfly graphic novel, written by Amel and Marguerite Bennett and illustrated by Antonio Fuso and Stefano Simeone. Woodruff and Cha exec co-produce with Kim and his Amazon-based 3AD banner John Cheng. Boom’s Stephen Christy and Ross Richie exec produce alongside Amel.
Kim’s 3AD spearhead Butterflywhich entered development at Amazon in February as part of its first-look deal with the streamer.
The rapid series order comes as sources say Amazon’s head of US series and development, Nick Pepper, is under pressure to produce results from a wave of expensive development. The executive branch has also been accelerated Real detective creator Nic Pizzolatto’s Western, which was shifted from an original idea to a TV reboot of The Magnificent Seven. Sources say Amazon is also formalizing series orders for a number of other projects in Pepper’s group, which should be announced in the coming weeks.
It is unclear when it will be worked on Butterfly – or any of Amazon’s developments – will continue as the Writers Guild of America is currently in its fourth week of a strike against streamers and studios over issues such as fair pay, mini-rooms and AI.
