JJ Abrams Is Bringing DC’s ‘Justice League Dark’ To HBO Max
Fresh off the financial success of Star Wars, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, director JJ Abrams is set to bring a new DC Comics property to HBO Max. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Abrams is developing three new shows, one of which is being described as a “major” title set in the Justice League Dark universe.
In addition to Justice League Dark, Abrams, wife Katie McGrath, and their production company, Bad Robot, will team up with Warner Bros. TV to bring Duster and Overlook — which was inspired by The Shining — to the streaming service as well. The former is set in the U.S. Southwest of the 1970s and will chronicle the exploits of a crime syndicate’s designated getaway driver. Overlook, meanwhile, aims to reveal untold stories about the titular hotel. HBO Max’s chief content officer, Kevin Reilly, was effusive in his praise for Abrams — and the new slate of programming — in a statement to THR.
“What an amazing start to our association with the wildly imaginative Bad Robot team under JJ and Katie. What could be better than an original JJ idea and then Warner Bros. letting them loose on iconic IP from Stephen King and the DC Universe and to provide more must-have programming on HBO Max.”
HBO Max is currently on target for launch some time next month. The platform is built around the HBO premium TV service and will include all of its programming, as well as original programming and library content.
Meanwhile, the Justice League Dark comic book series was first launched in 2011 as part of DC’s “New 52” continuity reboot. The title and concept surrounding the super team was the brainchild of writer Peter Milligan, with art provided by Mikel Janín, and took on a very different tone from their Justice League of America namesakes.
The original group featured cult characters like John Constantine, longtime Justice League member Zatanna, and Swamp Thing. Justice League Dark continues to have a presence in the wake of “DC Rebirth,” the continuity relaunch that occurred in 2016, with a new volume of books — first published in 2018 following a three-year series hiatus — and a lineup that now also includes Wonder Woman, Man-Bat, Doctor Fate, and Detective Chimp.
As for Abrams, the writer/director/producer is riding high after The Rise of Skywalker grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The film was recently released ahead of schedule digitally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home orders.
