Kumail Nanjiani presents ‘Sex Criminals’ series at Amazon
Amazon Prime Video has ordered a series adaptation of the comic book ‘Sex Criminals’, starring Kumail Nanjiani.
Nanjiani is also co-creator of the eight-episode series along with Emily V. Gordon and Tze Chun, while Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky – the comic book creators – will serve as executive producers.
“We are thrilled to have such talented people bringing our silly comic to life,” said Fraction and Zdarsky.
Gordon and Nanjiani produce alongside Dani Melia under the Winter Coat Films banner. Chun is also an executive producer. LuckyChap is producing the series under their first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios, with Dani Gorin serving as executive producer and Louie Hayes producing.
“’Sex Criminals’ is exactly what Winter Coat wants to bring to life: love stories in strange places,” said Gordon and Nanjiani. “From the moment LuckyChap brought us Matt and Chip’s comic book, we knew we wanted to bring these characters to the screen and we’re so excited to do that alongside Tze Chun and Prime Video.”
According to the official logline: “Suze is a normal girl with an extraordinary ability: when she has sex, she stops time. One night she meets Jon… who has the same gift. And so they do what any other sex couple would do: they rob banks.”
“I’ve been a fan of Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s ‘Sex Criminals’ since the first issue hit the stands,” Chun said. “This has been my dream project for over a decade and co-creating this show with Emily and Kumail has been one of the creative highlights of my career. We are so excited to bring this series to life with our amazing partners at Lucky Chap and Prime Video.”
Together, Nanjiani and Gordon are best known for co-writing the 2017 film “The Big Sick,” which is based on the true story of how they met and eventually married. Nanjiani also starred in the film, with the pair receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Gordon and Nanjiani also produced the Hulu limited series “Welcome to Chippendales,” another Nanjiani-starring vehicle, and co-created the Apple TV series “Little America.” Chun was director and writer of the final series.
“We are so honored to be part of bringing Matt and Chip’s beloved, wildly original comic to life, along with the dream team of Emily, Kumail, Tze and our partners at Amazon,” said LuckyChap. “’Sex Criminals’ is a romantic comedy like no other, and we are so excited to share Jon and Suze’s time-consuming love story with audiences.”
Chun is an experienced comic book writer and publisher through TKO Studios, where he has penned titles such as “The Fearsome Doctor Fang” and “The 7 Deadly Sins.” On television, he recently developed the animated series “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” at HBO Max. His other credits include “Gotham,” “Once Upon a Time” and the Amazon series “I’m a Virgo.” He has written and directed feature films including “Children of Invention” and “Cold Comes the Night.”
“’Sex Criminals’ is daring, hilarious and wildly original, with a love story at its heart that feels both deeply human and utterly unexpected,” said Peter Friedlander, global head of television for Amazon MGM Studios. “Emily, Kumail and Tze have brought a fresh and emotionally grounded take on this incredible property. With our collaborators at LuckyChap, Winter Coat Films and comic book creators Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, we are thrilled to bring this unforgettable world and its characters to our global Prime Video audience.”
LuckyChap currently has multiple projects in the works at Prime Video, including the YA drama “Sterling Point” and a series adaptation of the hit video game “Life Is Strange.”
Nanjiani and Gordon are represented by UTA, Mosaic and Schreck Rose. Chun is repped by WME, Untitled Entertainment and Yorn Levine Barnes. LuckyChap is represented by CAA, Entertainment 360 and Jackoway Austen.
