By In what is either a clear indicator of the overwhelming domination of “nerd culture” at the box office or yet another example of comic book movies chipping away at our culture bit by bit, Fox has optioned Boom! Studios’ massively popular series Lumberjanes for a live-action adaptation. The script will be written by Will Widger, produced by several Boom! executives.
Created by Shannon Watters and Grace Ellis, Lumberjanes has taken the indie scene by storm since it debuted last year. Originally slated as an eight-issue miniseries, the book proved so popular that it was upgraded to ongoing status by the time the second issue released. The book is set in and around Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, a mysterious summer camp for girls (called Lumberjane Scouts). The story is driven by a group of five scouts who, after encountering a pack of strange, three-eyed creatures, take it upon themselves to solve the mysteries surrounding the camp.
The series, co-written by Ellis and Noelle Stevenson and featuring character designs by Brooke A. Allen, has been nigh-universally praised for being a compelling, well-written series that appeals to all ages, as well as featuring an interesting and diverse female cast in a comics landscape that’s still overwhelmingly dominated by giant bodybuilders in capes and tights. In that vein, the news of a live action adaptation is a massive breath of fresh air – comic book movies in particular have had a really big problem when it comes to representation of the “non-straight white guy” persuasion. From the start, Lumberjanes has been a book obviously concerned with representation, so bringing that sensibility to the world of comic book movies can only help the genre with that ever-present issue.