David Leitch‘s “The Fall Guy” is out in theaters, and the filmmaker is starting to line up a potential small screen project as a future directing gig. A report from Deadline has revealed that there are plans behind the scenes, but deals haven’t been made, for the rights for the comic book “Button Man” hailing from 2000 AD (British publisher of popular mature comic books such as “Rogue Trooper” and “Judge Dredd”) is being developed as a television series.

Fifth Season has acquired the comic from “Judge Dredd” co-creator John Wagner (“A History of Violence”) with 87North (Leitch and Kelly McCormick) hoping to get involved with the project that focuses on a collective of skilled killers that participate in a game to the death taking a page from properties like “Highlander,” “John Wick,” and “Battle Royale.”

Leitch is said in the report as eyeing “Button Man” as something he could direct if the stars align for him.

The official logline for the comic book via Amazon/2000 AD reads as follows:

The world didn’t seem to need a man like Harry Exton anymore. An ex-soldier and mercenary, Harry was a human-killing machine without a vocation until an old colleague told him about ‘The Game.’ The players, known as “Button Men” are paid to fight to the death in a modern-day gladiatorial contest. Organised by mysterious backers known as ‘Voices’, the killing game offers bountiful financial rewards… if you live. Harry decides to participate but soon discovers that death offers the only way out! The world didn’t seem to need a man like Harry Exton anymore. An ex-soldier and mercenary, Harry was a human-killing machine without a vocation, until an old colleague told him about ‘The Game’. The players, known as ‘Button Men’ are paid to fight to the death in a modern-day gladiatorial contest. Organised by mysterious backers known as ‘Voices’, the killing game offers bountiful financial rewards… if you live. Harry decides to participate but soon discovers that death offers the only way out! Written by John Wagner (Judge Dredd, A History of Violence) with art by Arthur Ranson (Anderson: Psi Division, Mazeworld), “Button Man” is an action-packed thriller, deservedly regarded as one of the greatest strips ever to be published in 2000 AD.

“Button Man” once started out as a feature film that Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive”) was considering that bounced around from DreamWorks to Netflix.

Leitch has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures and has been trying to figure out his next directorial effort after exiting talks to tackle the latest installment of the “Jurassic” franchise before Gareth Edwards nabbed the job.

SOURCE: DEADLINE