Anthony Mackie’s big year just got a whole lot bigger.
After officially assuming the role of Captain America in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Mackie has landed the role of John Doe in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Twisted Metal.
As reported by Deadline, Mackie is set to both star in and executive produce the video game adaptation from Playstation Productions and Sony Pictures Television. “We’re thrilled to have Anthony Mackie on board. His ability to blend comedy, action and drama is perfect for the Twisted world we’re creating,” said Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions.
Based on the popular video game, the TV version of Twisted Metal will be an action-comedy about a loud-mouthed traveler who is offered an opportunity for a better life if he can successfully deliver a strange package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
“We’ve been big fans of Anthony’s phenomenal body of work over the years and knew he was the only actor who could play a character as complex, funny and compelling as John Doe,” Glenn Adilman, VP of Comedy Development at Sony TV told Deadline. “Fortunately for us, he agreed.”
Writer Michael Jonathan Smith of Cobra Kai fame will both write and executive produce the series, along with Will Arnett, Marc Forman, Mackie, and others.
In addition to a Twisted Metal adaptation, Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions’ are also deep in the development of a The Last of Us live-action series for HBO, which is being handled by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, and the game’s creator Neil Druckmann. The project will also be executive produced by Game of Thrones producer Carolyn Strauss. The series is set to star Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as protagonists Joel Miller and Ellie.
