James Tynion IV confirms that Something is Killing the Children is still in the works at Netflix

James Tynion IV has had a big C2E2 2024 with multiple spotlight panels and a shared announcement with Boom! Studios that they're launching 10-year anniversary deluxe hardcover editions of Tynion IV's Boom comics (The Woods, Something is Killing the Children, and the Memetic trilogy). Given the success of Something is Killing the Children with artist Werther Dell'Edera, many fans have wondered about the status of the previously reported Netflix adaptation of the book.

Something is Killing the Children launched as a comic book in 2019, and in 2021 Boom! Studios announced the property was in development with Netflix. The initial announcement tied horror writers and producers Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep) to the series pilot. In 2022, Flanagan revealed he was no longer tied to the comic adaptation, telling The Wrap, "Netflix decided to kind of go in a different direction with that property,” Flanagan said. “So we’re not involved with ‘Something Is Killing the Children’ anymore. We love James [Tynion IV], we love the source material, and we wish the absolute best for whoever ends up with it, but that one we’re not gonna move forward with.”

In his "The Many Worlds of James Tynion IV at Boom! Studios" panel on Saturday afternoon at the show, Tynion IV clarified that progress is still being made on the adaptation, with Dark and 1899 series showrunners Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese working on Something is Killing the Children for Netflix. The two were first linked to the property in February 2023, but there has been silence surrounding their involvement since.

Given Dark's critical acclaim and somber, gripping focus on supernatural occurrences in a small town, it's easy to see how bo Odar and Friese could connect with the small-town monster-hunting and mysterious lore at the heart of Something is Killing the Children. Despite their investment in the creatives, Netflix canceled bo Odar and Friese's acclaimed German-language drama 1899 after only one season. Nonetheless, the team has a very strong track record and fan support, accompanying the support of Netflix executives.

There's no release calendar or launch announcement for the adaptation at this point in time, but given Tynion IV and Dell'Edera's stated goal to hit 100 issues of Something Is Killing The Children, there may be plenty of time left for the show to launch during the hit comics' ongoing run.

In the meantime, Something is Killing the Children is gearing up for an exciting 2024 in comic book form, and Tynion IV's Tiny Onion studios is poised for plenty of exciting future announcements across the coming months.

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