Fox is moving forward on a pilot commitment for Lucifer, which is based on the character from Neil Gaiman‘s The Sandman comics. Len Wiseman (Total Recall) is set to direct with Jerry Bruckheimer producing. Tom Kapinos (Californication) is the executive producer/creator of the series.
In The Sandman comics, Lucifer is a fascinating character. Gaiman stuck to the character’s mythological origins—fallen angel who rules over Hell—and then found interesting ways to make him interact with the larger tapestry of the comic series. Gaiman’s Lucifer grew out of the character presented in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, but then expanded to explore Lucifer’s relationship to Hell and God with regards to ownership and liberation. The Lucifer storyline, Season of Mists, is also where The Sandman goes from excellent to an all-time classic.
The character was then spun off into his own comic series where he ran a piano bar and the story wrestles with free-will and predestination (a fitting theme considering Lucifer’s fall comes from his rebellion against God). I’ve read all of The Sandman, but I never delved into Lucifer. According to the Wikipedia page, I’ve been missing out on a story that delves into various facets of worldwide mythology, creation, and freedom.
Deadline reports that instead of going with the piano bar set up, the “TV series centers on Lucifer who, bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals.”
