An unexpected comic property is heading to Netflix. Matt Wagner’s award-winning Grendel is heading to the small screen as Netflix has ordered 8 episodes of the series. The show will star Abubakr Ali who will be the first Arab Muslim male actor to lead a comic adaptation. The series will be written and executive produced by Andrew Dabb and is part of Netflix’s first look deal with Dark Horse Entertainment whose Dark Horse comics published the comic series.

Grendel was originally published by Comico but eventually moved to Dark Horse. First appearing in October 1982 in the Comico Primer anthology, the character got his own series in 1983 moving publishers due to financial trouble.

The story is about Hunter Rose, an assassin and successful author who seems to avenge the death of a lost love going to war against New York’s criminal underworld.

Also cast in the series are:

• Jaime Ray Newman as Jocasta Rose
• Julian Black Antelope as Argent
• Madeline Zima as Liz Sparks
• Kevin Corrigan as Barry Palumbo
• Emma Ho as Stacy Palumbo
• Erik Palladino as Teddy Ciccone
• Brittany Allen as Annabelle Wright
• Andy Mientus as Larry Stohler