Torso - Zach Cregger and the Graphic Novel Adaptation

Netflix scores a major coup in the crime cinema landscape, acquiring the film rights to Torso, a true crime graphic novel inspired by the real story of the infamous "Cleveland Torso Murderer". The project, which has nothing to do with Sergio Martino's 1973 slasher of the same name (Torso - I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale), sparked a real bidding war among studios. The battle concluded with the streamer's victory, which has already begun development of a big-screen adaptation.

Zach Cregger, author of Weapons, is producing through his label Subconscious. He is joined by Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment, as well as Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund for Eat the Cat. The original creators, Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko, will participate as executive producers.

Between The Untouchables and Zodiac

Published by Image Comics between 1998 and 1999, Torso is a 6-issue miniseries often described as a cross between The Untouchables and Zodiac. The story follows Eliot Ness after the capture of Al Capone, during the period when he moved to Cleveland and found himself involved in one of the darkest investigations in American history: the hunt for a serial killer who left mutilated bodies and provocative messages for the authorities.

Currently, no screenwriter or director has been announced, but the project has previously attracted interest from names like David Fincher, Paul Greengrass, and David Lowery. A clear sign of the cinematic potential of a story that now finally seems ready to come to life.