Trioscope, the cutting-edge hybrid-tech studio behind The Liberator (Netflix), Night of the Cooters (produced by George R.R. Martin) and Takeover (starring Quavo), today announced it will adapt Le Sommeil du monstre, the first installment of award-winning French graphic novelist Enki Bilal’s sci-fi Monstre tetralogy, touted as his most personal work. Working closely with the artist, Trioscope will introduce TV viewers to this complex, futuristic world in a new premium series: Monster.
Synopsis: Nike Hatzfeld, a man with the unique ability to recall every memory since the day he was born, finds himself using his gift to make sense of his orphaned past to survive the chaotic and savage present. His story intertwines with Leyla and Amir, born just days apart from him in the same orphanage bed and also parentless amidst the bombs of Sarajevo in 1993 during the Yugoslav Wars. Considered expendable and manipulated by a radical organization that’s trying to eradicate science and truth from the world, the trio’s lives split into divergent paths before they reunite once more.
Published across a nine-year period, from 1998 to 2007, the French-language, bestselling Monstre (or Hatzfeld) tetralogy is one of Bilal’s most iconic works, with the second book in the series printing more than 280,000 copies. Monster the TV series will draw visual inspiration from Bilal’s distinctive artistic style and unique world building, fusing live-action performances with stylized CG environments in Trioscope’s signature technique.
Bilal, who has directed several acclaimed sci-fi feature films (Immortal, Tykho Moon), will serve as executive producer. Greg Jonkajtys, Trioscope’s Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, will serve as executive producer and is attached as director. Jonkajtys directed Netflix’s WWII series The Liberator and currently is directing the action feature Takeover, starring Quavo. Frédéric Puech will serve as executive producer for Something Big, the French 2D/3D animation studio that is producing alongside Trioscope Europe.
“Enki is a true master at creating darkly rich and provocative worlds,” says Jonkajtys. “We’re honored by the opportunity for our tech platform and creative team to help bring Monstre to life as a stylized live-action series that not only will captivate a broad TV audience, but also offer fans of the book an immersive new way to experience Enki’s beloved masterpiece.”
Bilal commented, “Le Sommeil du monstre has always held a special place in my heart, and the complexities of the narrative and the imaginative nature of the world have always made adaptation difficult. When Greg shared his vision and personal passion for the story, along with the possibilities the Trioscope technology offers, I finally could see a way to bring this story to the screen.”
This year, Trioscope has seen rapid growth, with a recent seed round investment from BITKRAFT, Sony and more to further pioneer its hybrid content genre for global audiences. Recently, the company expanded its management team, tapping Kyle Hoedl as Chief Marketing Officer, Joe Snowden as Chief Operating Officer and seasoned animation expert John Evershed as Chief Strategy Officer. Trioscope also appointed former Roblox executive Keith Lucas and former Technicolor executive Greg Mandel as Advisory Board members. In addition to the premiere of The Liberator, which reached #3 worldwide on Netflix, the company finished production on the short film Night of the Cooters, produced by George R. R. Martin and starring Vincent D’Onofrio, who also directs. Trioscope also has a TV development and production partnership with music shingle Quality Control, which includes Takeover, starring Quavo.
Known by many across the globe for his contributions to Heavy Metal, Bilal is not just comic-book artist: He’s a celebrated painter, movie director and author. Bilal was awarded Best Book of The Year from Lire Magazine in 1993, the Adamson Award for the Best International Comic-Book Cartoonist in 1999 and the International Horror Guild Award in 2006 for Best Illustrated Narrative. His art has been exhibited in art galleries around the world, most notably a 2012 solo exhibition at The Louvre, titled “The Ghosts of the Louvre.” His paintings now sell with six-figure price tags, and his books are regularly printed at 150,000 copies or more.
Based in Paris and Lille, Something Big specializes in film & TV series development, executive production and work-for-hire animation. The studio is involved in every stage of the 2D- and 3D-animation production process — from story and visual development to animation, rendering and compositing. Something Big frequently collaborates with international studios and talent while accessing the French artist talent pool and benefiting from the soft funding available in France. CEO Frederic Puech has a long history of producing animation in France and worldwide with Something Big, during a 15-year stint as Founder & President of Planet Nemo Animation and as SVP of Animation at Ankama.
