A fresh reboot of Alan Moore’s acclaimed comic book series, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, is officially underway at Twentieth Century Studios, according to industry reports. The project aims to reimagine Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s classic material for a modern audience while delivering a more faithful adaptation than the earlier film version.
Screenwriter Justin Haythe has been hired to write the screenplay. Haythe’s previous credits include critically noted work on films such as Revolutionary Road, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as genre titles like A Cure for Wellness and Red Sparrow. Producer Don Murphy, who was involved with the prior cinematic adaptation, will return to produce the new film. Insiders suggest the creative team is prioritizing fidelity to the source material, aiming to better capture the tone and complexity of Moore and O’Neill’s original series.
Originally published in 1999, the comics were written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O’Neill. The series quickly became one of Moore’s best-loved works, earning accolades such as the Bram Stoker Award for best illustrated narrative and an Eisner Award for best limited series. The premise brings together well-known Victorian literary characters—Mina Murray from Dracula, Dr. Jekyll from Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Allan Quatermain from King Solomon’s Mines—forming a heterogeneous team that confronts enemies drawn from classic fiction, including figures like Professor Moriarty and other iconic adversaries.
The first feature adaptation appeared in 2003, directed by Stephen Norrington and starring Sean Connery. That version performed modestly at the box office but received largely negative critical response, which stunted any plans to launch a franchise. It remains notable in popular culture as the final live-action film role for Connery, and the tepid reception contributed to a long period during which the property sat dormant in cinema terms.
Given the depth and breadth of the original comics—spanning multiple volumes and weaving dense intertextual narratives—many observers were surprised that Twentieth Century Studios chose to revisit the property as a standalone film rather than developing it as a longer-form series. Contemporary successes with serialized adaptations of complex graphic narratives, such as The Umbrella Academy and The Boys, have shown the advantages of extended episodic storytelling, allowing time to develop characters, worldbuilding, and intricate plotlines. Nevertheless, the studio appears confident it can translate the League’s layered storytelling into a cinematic format while maintaining narrative clarity and emotional stakes.
Details about casting, director selection, and the exact creative approach have not been disclosed. The production’s reported intention to adhere more closely to Moore and O’Neill’s original vision raises expectations that the reboot will emphasize period atmosphere, literary references, and the morally ambiguous tone that distinguishes the comics. Fans of the series will likely be watching closely for how the film balances faithful adaptation with the demands of modern blockbuster storytelling.
For distribution, the current plan calls for the film to debut on Hulu in the United States, which typically means it will be available on Disney Plus in other territories where streaming rights are managed through that platform. Twentieth Century Studios has not announced an official release date, and production timelines have yet to be confirmed. As development progresses, further information about cast, director, and a release schedule is expected to be released by the studio.
Whether the reboot will succeed where the earlier film struggled depends on several factors: the creative team’s ability to preserve the source material’s intricate worldbuilding, a cast that can embody well-known literary figures convincingly, and a director who can balance spectacle with the comic’s darker, more literary sensibilities. If done well, this new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen could reintroduce Moore and O’Neill’s visionary alternate-Victorian universe to a wide contemporary audience and potentially pave the way for additional adaptations of the series’ rich, expansive storylines.