Amazon Prime Video has ordered a series adaptation of the comic book “Sex Criminals,” with Kumail Nanjiani set to appear on the show.
Nanjiani is also co-creator of the eight-episode series along with Emily V. Gordon and Tse Chun, and comic book creators Matt Fraction and Chip Dursky will serve as executive producers.
“We’re thrilled to have such talented people bring our silly comics to life,” said Fraction and Zdarsky.
Gordon and Nanjiani serve as executive producers alongside Dani Melia under their Winter Court Films banner. Chun will also serve as executive producer. LuckyChap is producing the series under a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios, with the company’s Dani Gorin serving as executive producer and Louis Hayes serving as producer.
“‘Sex Criminals’ is exactly what Winter Court is trying to bring to life: a love story in a strange place,” said Gordon and Nanjiani. “From the moment LuckyChap brought us the Matt and Chip comic book, we’ve wanted to bring these characters to the screen, and we’re so excited to be able to do it with Tse Chun and Prime Video.”
According to the official logline, “Suze is an ordinary girl with an extraordinary ability. When she has sex, she can stop time. One night, she meets John…he has the same talent. And they do the same thing that other couples do that stop time when they have sex: They rob a bank.”
“I’ve been a fan of Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s ‘Sex Criminals’ since the first issue hit the stands,” Chun said. “This has been a dream project of mine for over a decade, and co-producing this show with Emily and Kumail has been one of the creative highlights of my career. I’m so excited to bring this series to life with our amazing partners at Lucky Chap and Prime Video.”
Nanjiani and Gordon are best known for co-writing the 2017 film The Big Sick, which is based on the true story of how the two met and ultimately married. Nanjiani also starred in the film, and the two were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Gordon and Nanjiani also served as executive producers on the Hulu limited series “Welcome to Chippendales,” another vehicle starring Nanjiani, and co-created the Apple TV series “Little America.” Chun served as director and screenwriter on the latter series.
“We are so honored to be a part of bringing Matt and Chip’s beloved wild original comic to life with Emily, Kumail, Tse and our dream team of partners at Amazon,” said Lucky Chap. “Sex Criminals is a romantic comedy like no other, and we’re thrilled to share John and Suz’s time-stopping love story with viewers.”
Mr. Chun is an accomplished comic book writer and publisher in his own right through TKO Studios, writing titles such as “The Fearsome Doctor Fang” and “The Seven Deadly Sins.” In television, he most recently developed the animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai on HBO Max. His other credits include “Gotham,” “Once Upon a Time” and the Amazon series “I’m a Virgo.” He has written and directed feature films such as Children of Invention and Cold Comes the Night.
“At its core, ‘Sex Criminals’ is a love story that feels bold, hilarious, deeply original and deeply human, yet completely unexpected,” said Peter Friedlander, Global Head of Television, Amazon MGM Studios. “Emily, Kumail and Tse have brought a fresh, emotionally-driven interpretation to this incredible property, and we’re excited to work with LuckyChap, our collaborators at Winter Coat Films, and comic book authors Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky to bring this unforgettable world and its characters to Prime Video viewers around the world.”
LuckyChap currently has several projects in the works for Prime Video, including the YA drama “Starling Point” and a series based on the hit video game “Life is Strange.”
Nanjiani and Gordon are repped by UTA, Mosaic and Schreck Rose. Chun is repped by WME, Untitled Entertainment and Yorn Levine Barnes. LuckyChap is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360 and Jackoway Austen.
