Madame Xanadu: J.J. Abrams

Madame Xanadu: J.J. Abrams

Madame Xanadu

HBO Max plans to exploit a large number of characters from DC Comics, especially those not too well known to the mass audience accustomed to the adventures of heroes like Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman, recently reunited in Zack Snyder's Justice League (here at Special price ). Madame X will in fact be the new TV series produced by J.J. Abrams. The series will be curated by Angela Robinson (Professor Marston & The Wonder Women) who will take care of curating the various episodes soon to be released on the streaming catalog of the American broadcaster.

Madame Xanadu's character is linked to a double thread to the Justice League Dark, and is known to readers of the DC Comics books also by the name of Nimue. Her first appearance dates back to 1978, in the first issue of the Doorway to Nightmare magazine. In the comics, the stories are almost always centered around a certain character who visits her sorceress shop, telling her a story of mystery or magic. Xanadu, through the reading of the tarot, is able to understand what strange occult element is hidden behind the enigma, often and willingly intervening directly in the issues thanks to the use of his powers, including precognition, teleportation, telekinesis and, lastly but not least, immortality.

HBO Max intends to create a Marvel Cinematic Universe-style project, giving life to a real universe of interconnected television productions (here the original news). Abrams and Bad Robot, in fact, intend to continue to exploit the intellectual properties of DC as part of a real Justice League Dark: in addition to a new show dedicated to the character of Constantine and, in fact, the one dedicated to Madame X, DC is also collaborating. with Matt Reeves for an animated series dedicated to the Dark Knight and called Batman: Caped Crusader, as well as the production of a new film centered on the character of Superman but with a new black protagonist never seen before on the big screen.






DC's Madame Xanadu Is Getting a TV Series From Angela Robinson

Part of the cover for Madame X Vol. 11.Image: DC Comics

We might not be getting a Gambit movie anytime soon, but at least we’ve got another card-wielding superhuman on the way: DC Comics’ Madame Xanadu. True Blood writer and executive producer Angela Robinson is heading to HBO Max with a new TV series based on the immortal clairvoyant, with J.J. Abrams serving as producer.

As reported in Deadline, Abrams and Robinson are teaming up to develop a series called Madame X, based on Madame Xanadu (aka Nimue). The DC character inspired by the Arthurian legend was designed by Michael William Kaluta back in 1978 with her initial story worked on by David Michelinie. This is the latest TV project in Abrams’ ongoing deal with Warner Bros. TV, which includes a string of DC projects including Justice League Dark (which very well could feature Madame Xanadu) and a new Superman film from Ta-Nehisi Coates that will feature a Black Superman. Robinson is not exactly a stranger to comic stories either; she previously wrote and directed the loosely-based-on-true-events Professor Marston and the Wonder Women and also wrote The Web for DC.

Over the years, Madame Xanadu has gone through several incarnations (just like most comic characters) but originally she was stripped of her powers—levitation, teleportation, and the ability to see the future through tarot cards—by Merlin, and went on to have a child that was an ancestor of none other than John Constantine. Along the way she had many adventures with other DC magic characters, made a deal with Neron for her soul, and was blind for a time because she was acting as the powerful Spectre’s advisor. She’s previously made one live-action appearance in the short-lived Swamp Thing (played by Jeryl Prescott) on DC Universe (now HBO Max).

You may recall there’s also a new take on Constantine coming from Abrams, so the opportunity for crossovers is ripe. That character has been played by Matt Ryan the last few years on Legends of Tomorrow prior to his own series on NBC. Would you like to see Ryan continue that trend and who could you see playing Madame Xanadu?

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