It’s all adaptation news all the time this week: Deadline reports that M.K. England’s YA science fiction novel The Disasters is in development at The CW. And yes, of course Greg Berlanti is involved.
Berlanti Productions, 5 More Minutes Productions and Warner Bros TV are teaming up for the series, which also has a writer and director on board: Supergirl writer Derek Simon will write and executive produce, and Lee Toland Krieger (Riverdale, Superman & Lois) will direct and executive produce—along with a host of other executive producers that includes Berlanti.
M.K. England was enthusiastic about finally being able to share the news; apparently the initial option was two years ago!
Uuuh 🌟SURPRISE🌟, this is finally out there!
THE DISASTERS got optioned for tv TWO WHOLE YEARS AGO and I haven't been able to say a word! I never expected the project to get this far, and there are still hurdles, but I'm so honored to have such amazing champions on board. https://t.co/8ZJ2PWqX4g
— MK England 🏳️🌈⚡️ has new book deal news! (@GeektasticLib) December 16, 2020
Published in 2019, The Disasters is described as “The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy“; the book’s publisher also name-checks Illuminae, Heart of Iron, and Firefly. Here’s the summary:
Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours. But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy.
Nax and three other washouts escape—barely—but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats.
On the run, Nax and his fellow failures plan to pull off a dangerous heist to spread the truth. Because they may not be “Academy material,” and they may not even get along, but they’re the only ones left to step up and fight.
It’s not yet know when The Disasters will blast off.
