In recent years, HBO's original series and the shows on AMC have changed the way we look at television. TV is no longer reserved for just sports and sitcoms, because serious, high-budget dramas are now in vogue. Over the past few years, more and more of these larger productions have popped up, and many of these shows now maintain an immense fanbase.
While bigger production studios have certainly noticed this new trend, one thing viewers haven't seen yet is a film franchise become a television series. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the closest anyone has gotten, as it carries direct ties to Marvel's films, but no series yet has jumped straight from film into television. Though, thanks to Constantin Film, a film-to-TV transition isn't far away.
In an interview with Variety, executive chairman Martin Moszkowicz confirmed that series based on the Mortal Instruments books and the Resident Evil films are both in production. The studio has worked on both franchises in the past, though this will be the first time either has been adapted for the small screen.
Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was originally a movie released in 2013, and while its box office performance wasn't terrible by any means, critical reception was absolutely awful. Development on a planned sequel was halted almost immediately, though it seems Constantin isn't quite ready to give up on the franchise just yet. Moszkowicz confirmed that a showrunner for Mortal Instruments has already been hired, though he did not elaborate on just who would be heading up production.
Resident Evil also began as a Constantin film series, though the video game adaptation was originally part of a six-film franchise. The films have always reviewed poorly, but up until the fifth installment, Resident Evil has consistently made back its budget. The upcoming sixth film, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, was supposed to be released in 2015 before production was delayed, and it's more than likely that any work on the television show will wait until the last film has debuted. That being said, declining profits and a massive delay may also be the reason the TV show was conceived in the first place.
It's a surprising move, considering that no film franchise has ever jumped directly into television, though given the reception of Mortal Instruments and Resident Evil, it does make quite a bit of sense. Whether or not the new shows will retain their respective cast or crews is still unknown, and any firm release date is still a ways off. With any luck, the shift to the small screen will work out for both series.
