Hulu Series on Popular Assassin Video Game Canceled

Fans of an iconic video game franchise will have to wait longer for a proper television adaptation, as plans for a Hulu series have officially been canceled. The project, which had been in development since 2017, is no longer moving forward, according to the writer attached to the series.

Hitman based series is dead in the water

In an interview with The Direct, filmmaker Derek Kolstad gave an unexpected update on the long-gestating adaptation. When asked directly if the Hitman-based series still has a future, Kolstad responded, “It’s dead in the water.”

Kolstad, best known as the creator of the John Wick franchise, had been attached as writer and executive producer when the project was first announced in November 2017. Hulu and Fox 21 Television Studios planned to bring the beloved video game property to the small screen, with Kolstad set to write the pilot. That pilot never materialized.

“It’s a little bit of a dagger in the chest,” Kolstad admitted. “Who knows nowadays, but it’s dead in the water. But, man, I love that thing, because I love that game and I love that character. But the problem is, I can write a screenplay, but no one’s going to go out and buy the screenplay. You’ve got to make the movie, you’ve got to make the show. But nothing’s happening with that man, sadly.”

The Hulu canceled project joins a growing list of video game adaptations that never made it to screens, despite the franchise’s enduring popularity. Since debuting in 2000, Hitman has become one of gaming’s most distinctive stealth experiences, with players stepping into the shoes of Agent 47, a genetically engineered assassin.

While the television series won’t happen, the franchise has been adapted for film twice, but with disappointing results. The 2007 film Hitman starred Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47 and got a dismal 16% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. A 2015 reboot, Hitman: Agent 47, featured Rupert Friend in the lead role. It attempted to accurately reflect the character’s cloned origins. Critics were even less kind this time, garnering an 8% score on the same platform.

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