Arclight Films and Platinum Studios to bring Witchblade to big screen

Platinum Studios, in conjunction with Top Cow Productions and Arclight Films, today announced a deal to co-produce a feature film based on the action fantasy thriller “Witchblade.” The best-selling comic book franchise created by Top Cow, has sold over 100 million units worldwide since its #1 debut in 1995.

It is anticipated that the film would be shot on location in Australia later this year. The exact story line and nature of the script is being kept under wraps but will stay true to the “Witchblade” mythology which centers around an ornate, jewel-encrusted gauntlet that gives superpowers to the wearer, a chosen female bearer of each generation, who possess it.

Arclight CEO Gary Hamilton, Arclight Production Operations Head Nigel Odell, Platinum Studios’ CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and Steve Squillante of Havenwood Media are all set to produce. Top Cow’s CEO Marc Silvestri and President Matt Hawkins would serve as executive producers as would Platinum Studios’ Rich Marincic. Former Universal Pictures senior executive Randy Greenberg of the Greenberg Group would also executive produce.

The ‘Witchblade’ comic book has been published in over 21 languages and distributed in over 55 countries. Most recently, “Witchblade” was licensed to Gonzo Digimation Holding and made into a Japanese anime TV show. The first season’s 26 episodes ran in 2006 and was the highest anime debut of an American property ever. In 2007, FUNimation released the anime DVD in the U.S. where it became the #1 Anime DVD debut of 2007. The success of the comic book also led to a TV movie in 2000, which spawned TNT series. The property has been licensed and merchandised all over the world into trading cards, posters, lithographs, skateboards, lunch pails, soundtracks, novelizations, and multiple toy lines among many others.

Platinum Studios’ film/TV division has various properties in development at major film studios, including “Atlantis Rising” at DreamWorks and Kurtzman/Orci (“Transformers”) set to produce, “Cowboys and Aliens” again at DreamWorks with Kurtzman/Orci partnering with Universal Pictures partnering with Imagine Entertainment, and “Unique” at Walt Disney Pictures. Platinum Studios also recently announced its partnering with Hyde Park Entertainment to co-produce “Dead of Night”, based on the beloved Italian comic book series, Dylan Dog.