Australian writer/director Luke Sparke (Occupation) has optioned the rights to John Birmingham's World War II alternate history book trilogy Axis of Time via his Sparke Films company and will write the adaptation. Deadline reported that the series, which will feature all three books (Weapons of Choice, Designated Targets, Final Impact), is a collaboration between Sparke and co-writer Jay Thames, who appeared in Sons of Anarchy.
"I am stoked to see Luke and his crew turn this favorite, much loved story into something new and madly exciting," said Birmingham. "His Occupation films are enormous fun and his plans to blast Weapons of Choice onto the screen promise even more. More fun, more action, more head-spinning concepts and adventures. I've always had a movie of this series running somewhere in my head and reading his script, seeing the artwork, it was like it suddenly exploded all around me."
Sparke added: "When I read John's Weapons of Choice on its release back in 2004, I knew immediately it would make an amazing TV series. That book and the subsequent trilogy became my Catcher in the Rye. When I reached out to John with my ideas, I got to work developing the first season. Five years later, we have a series that is extremely relevant and timely with everything going on in the world. There's never been a better time to look back on our history and see how far we have come, let alone throwing our current culture 80 years back in time and see the two worlds collide. This series is very dear to my heart and will be developed for the screen with loving care."