EXCLUSIVE: Iron Man And Children of men writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are scripting Shadow Tigera film adaptation of the comic book by Sharad Devarajan.
This marks the first time since writing this Academy Award-nominated duo to return to the superhero genre Iron Man, which laid the foundation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They were also known for an Oscar nomination for their work on Alfonso Cuarón in the 2006 dystopian thriller Children of men and have recently created science fiction series The vastness. In March 2022, we revealed that they had a God of war adaptation for Prime Video.
The live action Shadow Tiger film is independently developed and produced by Devarajan’s Graphic India through a new live-action production arm. Devarajan, Fergus and Ostby produce alongside Graphic’s SVP Live Action, Sarena Khan.
Graphic India’s ‘Shadow Tiger’ comic books, from director and writer Devarajan, are among the most influential to come out of India in recent years. Short episodic releases have received hundreds of millions of views.
The ‘Shadow Tiger’ comics tell the story of Rajan Shah, a brilliant young lawyer from humble beginnings, who sees his career destroyed when he challenges corruption in the Indian legal system. His life takes an extraordinary turn when he inherits a billion-dollar empire and mysterious power from the man responsible for the death of his parents. Haunted by his complex past, he vows to protect the innocent and bring justice to those beyond the reach of the law.
“We have always loved international stories that can appeal to audiences across cultures and borders,” screenwriters Fergus and Ostby said in a joint statement to Deadline. “’Shadow Tiger’ felt like an ideal opportunity to do that, returning to the roots of the superhero genre, which was that superheroes were meant to inspire everyday people to fight injustice.”
“In creating ‘Shadow Tiger’, my mission was to create a truly global superhero with unique Indian roots,” said Devarajan, CEO of Graphic India. “Having Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby on board is a game changer – their work on Iron Man laid the foundation for a cinematic universe that has generated more than $30 billion and transformed global entertainment. They are the perfect writers to bring ‘Shadow Tiger’ to the world, and I’m honored that they chose this character to mark their return to superheroics.”
Devarajan is known for co-creation Pavitr Prabhakar, the ‘Indian Spider-Man’. The character recently starred in Spider-Man: About the Spider-Versewhich has become the highest-grossing animated box office release in Indian film history.
Devarajan also teamed up with late Marvel icon Stan Lee to co-create Chakra the Invincible. He is also known for creating The legend of Hanumanwhich was a breakout hit on Disney+ Hotstar in India for the past four years.
Fergus and Ostby are represented by CAA, Kaplan/Perrone and Gochman Law Group.
