After flirting with a return to original drama programming, Spike appears to be ready to get back in the game. Spike has ordered Red Mars direct to series, with a ten episode first season. Red Mars is based on Kim Stanley Robinson’s classic Mars Trilogy novels that explored humanity’s colonization of Mars.
Spearheading the adaptation is screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5 and co-creator of the Netflix original series, Sense8. Straczynski’s previous credits include the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and The Real Ghostbusters, as well as the first revival of The Twilight Zone, Jeremiah, the feature film Changeling and the story for the first Thor movie from Marvel Studios. Straczynski is also a prolific comic book writer with stints on Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, Superman, Wonder Woman, and several creator owned titles.
While Straczynski will be one of the executive producers of Red Mars, he will continue to be showrunner for the second season of Sense8 as well.
“The heart and soul of Red Mars is about humanity,” said Spike’s Sharon Levy. “This group of strangers must find a way to live together and survive under the most daunting conditions mankind has ever faced to become the first living generation of Martians. They will be each other’s greatest source of strength – and if they can’t coexist- the greatest reason for failure.”
Red Mars will premiere on Spike in January 2017. Production will begin in 2016.
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