Netflix Inks Deal With BOOM! Studios For New Live And Animated Shows

California-based comic book publisher BOOM! Studios has inked a new deal with Netflix that gives the latter company first-look rights for potential new shows based on the studio's stories. The deal will potentially spawn new live and animated original shows at Netflix, which has two years of first-look rights under the deal, giving it access to the largest selection of comics outside of the Marvel and DC universes.

Original shows are the hook that gives streaming companies a way to lure in new customers. Netflix arguably pioneered the original streaming content market with its large library of original shows, something that continues to grow as new competitors join the industry. Netflix has dabbled in comic book adaptations with shows like Locke & Key and The Umbrella Academy.

On Monday, April 13, BOOM! Studios announced that it has signed a two-year deal with Netflix that provides the streaming company with a vast catalog of comic book IP, including franchises like Mouse Guard, Something is Killing the Children, Once & Future, and more. The first-look deal gives Netflix the opportunity to make original shows from this IP.

In a statement, Netflix Original Series Vice President Brian Wright said:

BOOM! characters are innately special, they're colorful, diverse and varied and their stories have the power to ignite something in all of us. We can't wait to bring these stories from the page to the screen to fans in every corner of the world.

BOOM! produces more than twenty new series every year, according to its CEO Ross Richie, making it a rich resource for Netflix to farm. The company has previously worked with a number of studios and companies on entertainment content, including HBO Max, Amazon, Disney Plus, and CBS All Access. It's unclear whether Netflix is eyeing any particular shows at this time.