rewrite this title 4MK: Sylvester Stallone developing series adaptation of J.D. Barker’s serial killer novels

Per Deadline, Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions is joining forces with Channing Powell (Tales of the Walking Dead) for a series adaptation of the 4MK books by J.D. Barker. Powell will serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer of the series alongside Stallone and D. Matt Geller.

What Are the 4MK Novels About?

Consisting of The Fourth Monkey, The Fifth to Die, and The Sixth Wicked Child, the novels take place in Chicago and follow “Detective Sam Porter as he hunts the elusive Four Monkey Killer, a murderer who has terrorized the city for years with a chilling and highly personal code of judgment. Guided by the maxim ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil,’ the killer removes the ears, eyes and tongues of his victims, turning every crime scene into a ritualized message. But the true horror lies in the unspoken fourth commandment, ‘do no evil,’ which reveals the killer’s deeper agenda: exposing hidden corruption by punishing the guilty through the people they love most.“

The first installment of a prequel trilogy, The First Scarlet Door, will be published on September 22.

Statements!

In a statement, Stallone said, “J.D. Barker has created a world with enormous scale, real danger, a ruthless narrative engine, and the kind of mythology that is tailor-made for premium television. Channing Powell is not only a powerhouse writer and producer, but a true creator with a rare command of dark, character-driven storytelling, and she is exactly the right force to bring 4MK to the screen. This is the kind of property that audiences don’t just watch, but get pulled into, and it has all the makings of a series that can hit hard, travel globally, and leave a real mark.“

Powell added, “What drew me to 4MK immediately was its intensity, its intelligence, and the way it keeps tightening the screws until you can barely breathe. Beneath the suspense is a story about guilt, justice, corruption, and the emotional wreckage people leave behind. J.D. Barker has created a world that is bold, dangerous, and deeply addictive, and Sylvester Stallone and the Balboa team provide the invaluable support needed to bring my adaptation to the screen, driving this series toward real scale.“

Not to be left out, Barker said, “From the start,4MK was designed to be a relentless, psychologically charged ride, one where every revelation cuts deeper, every secret carries a cost, and every character is forced to confront the darkest parts of themselves. Sylvester Stallone and the team at Balboa immediately saw the power, danger, and franchise potential in that world, and Channing brings exactly the kind of instinct for character, tension, and longform storytelling that can make it land with real force on screen. With this creative force, 4MK won’t just be gripping television, it will be the kind of series that gets under people’s skin and stays there. I couldn’t be more excited to see it come to life.“

Stallone’s Other TV Projects

In addition to Tulsa King, which has a fourth season on the way, Stallone has several other TV projects on his slate. Earlier this year, it was announced that he was developing Blood Aces, a TV series centered around Benny Binion, a real-life figure who helped build the foundation of modern Las Vegas gambling. Cole Hauser (Yellowstone) will star as Benny.

There have also been rumblings that Stallone will team up with Quentin Tarantino for a gangster series set in the 1930s. Tarantino will write and co-direct the series, with Stallone on board to co-direct. It will be a six-part series full of gangsters, showgirls, boxing, and music, and it will also apparently be shot in black and white with cameras from that era.