The long-gestating Hitman television adaptation, originally announced nine years ago, has been officially canceled. Derek Kolstad, the creator of the John Wick franchise and the project’s former executive producer and writer, confirmed to The Direct that the series is no longer moving forward.
A Long-Delayed Project Hits a Dead End
What once held promise as a flagship series for Hulu has now been shelved indefinitely. Discussions regarding the adaptation gained significant traction back in 2017, with Kolstad penning a pilot script that aimed to bring the iconic Agent 47 to the small screen. Reflecting on the cancellation, Kolstad admitted the news is “a little bit of a dagger in the chest,” adding, “Who knows nowadays, but it’s dead in the water.”
Despite his clear passion for the source material, Kolstad expressed the harsh reality of the industry. “I love that thing, because I love that game and I love that character,” he stated. “But the problem is, I can write a screenplay, but no one’s going to go out and buy the screenplay. You’ve got to make the movie, you’ve got to make the show. But nothing’s happening with that man, sadly.”
Escaping the ‘Hitman Curse’
The failure of this project might be a blessing in disguise for the franchise’s reputation. Previous film adaptations of Hitman have been notoriously poorly received. Even Timothy Olyphant, who starred as the titular assassin in the 2007 film, has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the project, describing it as a low point in his career that he accepted primarily for financial reasons.
While Kolstad—the mastermind behind the successful John Wick series—could have potentially broken the cycle of subpar adaptations, the project’s collapse leaves the future of Agent 47 in live-action uncertain. This cancellation is particularly notable given the current surge in high-quality video game adaptations, such as the critically acclaimed Fallout and The Last of Us series.
For now, the dream of a definitive Hitman series remains unrealized. Unless Kolstad’s script is eventually shopped elsewhere or another studio decides to revive the property, the silent assassin will remain confined to the gaming world.
