Hitman live-action series: bad news from Hulu

The attempt to bring Hitman to the small screen comes to an abrupt halt. The series in development for Hulu and Disney+ has been canceled, ending a project that had been trying to take shape for years without ever truly succeeding.

Derek Kolstad, known for creating the John Wick saga, confirmed this. Involved as a writer and producer, Kolstad spoke openly about the cancellation, describing the project as now “dead,” leaving no room for interpretation or possible revival in the short term.

The idea of adapting Hitman for television dates back to 2017, when Hulu and Fox 21 began development. However, between corporate changes and internal reorganizations related to Disney, production remained stalled for years, until the definitive stop.

The films' poor success didn't help

One of the main obstacles has always been the saga's format itself. Hitman does not follow a classic narrative, but is based on open missions and multiple approaches, elements difficult to translate into a traditional serial structure without distorting its identity. The franchise's cinematic past also weighs heavily, with two adaptations that failed to make their mark, making studios more cautious about relaunching the character of Agent 47.

The cancellation is unfortunately not an isolated case: Buffy New Sunnydale was also recently shelved by Hulu, a sign of a phase of greater caution in the platform's editorial choices. At a time when video game adaptations are demonstrating their potential, this double slowdown suggests that, behind the scenes, the selection of projects has become much more rigid, even in the face of strong names and franchises.