Denzel Washington in the 20th Century Fox movie adaptation of the books
Netflix announced it would be adapting the first two books by author A.J. Quinell into an exciting new thriller series, Man on Fire in early 2023. The eight-episode series is being written and produced by Fear Street‘s Kyle Killen. The series has now entered pre-production with production scheduled for the Summer of 2024. Here’s everything we know.
Kyle Killen wrote and produced the 8-episode series based on the novels by A.J. Quinell. Killen previously worked on the Fear Street trilogy for Netflix and the television adaptation of the video game Halo.
The series is being produced by Chernin Entertainment, which works with Netflix under an extensive overall deal. Peter Chernin will serve as an executive producer alongside Jenno Topping, Bill McGoldrick, and Juan Alfonso. New Regency Productions owns the rights to IP and is represented by executive producers Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, and Michael Schaefer. Killen’s Chapter Eleven will also produce, with Scott Pennington serving as an executive producer.
Carmen Cuba serves as the casting director for the series.
Some may already be familiar with the work of A.J. Quinell, as Man on Fire has already received two film adaptations: one in 2004, which starred Denzel Washington as the lead, and the second in 1987, with Scott Glenn.
Denzel Washington (left) and Scott Glenn (right) both played the role of Creasy in their respective film adaptations.
What is the plot of Man on Fire?
Here’s the official plot logline:
“A muscular, emotional, ongoing international series based on the book series that inspired the film MAN ON FIRE. It tells the story of John Creasy, a broken ex-mercenary on a mission to avenge the death of his only friend, while protecting his fallen comrade’s daughter from the forces that destroyed her family.”
Netflix was casting for numerous roles throughout the early stages of 2024, with John Creasy set to be a BIPOC.
Other roles Netflix was casting for include:
- Poe – Lead – Rayburn’s daughter. A teenager who is growing at a rapid pace and has an attitude that comes with it. She is the only one to witness the bombing of her family because instead of being home, she was on her way to sneak back after a night with her boyfriend.
- Carmo – Hispanic – President of Brazil up for re-election. Polished with a former soldier’s energy, although there’s something fishy about him.
- Soares – Hispanic – Intimidating figure who works with the president of Brazil.
- Rayburn – Creasy’s mentor and rescues him from a suicide attempt. He served above Creasy in the army and feels responsible for him and views him like a son.
Who is in the cast of Man on Fire?
At the time of this update in May 2024, no cast members had been announced for the series, although we suspect that’ll be changing imminently.
What is the episode count?
There will be a total of eight episodes with hour-long runtimes.
What is the Man on Fire production status?
Official Production Status: Pre-production
The project is still in the early days of development, and very little is known about it now.
While it was rumored early on that the series could be filmed in Italy, that’s not the case. We’re told that filming is set to take place in Mexico City and Brazil, which makes sense given the plot.
Production is due to take place from late July 2024 and run through to the end of Q1 2025 which would mean a late March 2025 wrap. That could mean a 2025 release is on the cards but 2026 also wouldn’t be out of the question.
Are you looking forward to watching Man on Fire? Let us know in the comments below!