Comic Strips King Features Television

The Phantom – From The Deep Woods to Global Television

Skip to comments

D. D. Degg Published: April 17, 2026 1 minute 2 comments

Variety is reporting that King Features has partnered with Reginald Hudlin to develop a television series starring The Phantom of comic strip fame.

From Jennifer Mass at Variety:

A live-action [emphasis added] TV series based on Lee Falk’s classic comic strip “The Phantom” is in the works from “Candy Cane Lane” and “Sidney” filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, Variety has learned.

Hudlin will direct and produce the TV series, which is in the development stage at the Hearst-owned King Features.

Owned by Hearst, “The Phantom” franchise boasts a global readership of more than 29 million, with key international markets including The Nordics, Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, the U.K. and Europe, and India.

Variety quotes King Features president C.J. Kettler:

The development of a live-action series for the iconic comic strip ‘The Phantom’ marks a pivotal expansion to meet the current cultural zeitgeist for this brand.

As we all know if the papers have just been signed it will probably be years before we see the the finished product if (“in development” does not mean a sure thing) it sees its way to completion.