The neo-Western film The Book of Eli is set thirty years after a nuclear disaster caused an ecocide. It centers on Eli (Washington, pictured left), a nomad who fights his way through a devastated, post-apocalyptic America while protecting a sacred book that holds the secrets of humanity's salvation.
Details about the television series are sketchy, but sources say it is set 30 years before the events of the film, around the time of the nuclear event or its immediate aftermath.
This is one of the most high-profile, star-driven, self-titled projects to hit the premium TV market since the end of the Hollywood strikes. While a handful of deals have closed so far, purchasing has been slow to get going. It's expected to pick up in early 2024, with The Book of Eli being the example of what a network or streamer needs to stand out.
2010's The Book of Eli, distributed by Warner Bros, which is not involved in the prequel television series, was a box office success, grossing $157.1 million worldwide on a budget of $80 million. The film also starred Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis.
Boyega (pictured above right) is known for his starring role in the Star Wars franchise and can be seen in Netflix's 2023 film They Cloned Tyrone opposite Jamie Foxx. His recent films include Breaking, for which he won the 2022 Sundance U.S. Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast won, and The Woman King.
On television, he starred in the Prime Video limited series Small Ax, for which he won Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards and received a BAFTA nomination. Boyega's next role is director Cathy Yan's science fiction novel The Freshening.
Whitta, who also wrote Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and After Earth, is mentored by UTA, Circle of Confusion and Behr Abramson Levy Johnson.
Another television project from Alcon Entertainment includes the upcoming Prime Video series Blade Runner 2099, set fifty years after the Blade Runner film sequel Blade Runner 2049.
