A 2000s icon with 40 million sales was headed for TV glory. So why did its most lethal move happen offscreen?
Nine years after its 2017 announcement, the long-gestating Hitman television adaptation has been declared a dead project by creator Derek Kolstad, the writer behind John Wick. Despite Disney+ and Hulu commissioning the show based on IO Interactive’s franchise, which has sold 40 million copies worldwide, a pilot was never even filmed. Kolstad voiced his disappointment as development officially halted. He now pivots to Just Watch Me, an action feature slated for 2026.
A highly anticipated adaptation left on hold
When the 2017 announcement promised a TV series based on IO Interactive’s Hitman, enthusiasm felt universal. Disney+/Hulu circled the project, and the icy charisma of Agent 47 seemed tailored for prestige television. With the franchise surpassing 40 million copies sold, the adaptation looked like a sure bet, a sleek marriage of stealth storytelling and serialized suspense.
Years of setbacks and dashed hopes
Then, momentum stalled. Over 9 years, meaningful updates dwindled, and the pilot never reached a soundstage—an omen no producer loves. Even with Derek Kolstad, the action stylist behind John Wick, the machine wheezed instead of roared, leaving fans nursing cautious optimism that slowly evaporated.
2017: series announced with Kolstad attached.
Pilot ordered, then delayed; ultimately not shot.
Updates thinned as months turned into years.
Derek Kolstad reveals the disappointing truth
In a recent interview (via The Direct), Kolstad called the Hitman show a “dead project”. He spoke candidly about a lost opportunity and a character he clearly respects, noting how the series never made meaningful headway despite major-platform interest. With Disney+/Hulu once onboard, the formal cancellation stings—especially for viewers who saw TV as a natural home for 47’s chilly precision.
Moving ahead with another action-packed venture
Kolstad isn’t idling. He’s now steering energy toward Just Watch Me, an action feature slated for 2026, reaffirming his lane as a craftsman of clean, muscular set pieces. The résumé that launched John Wick still commands attention, and his new project signals focus rather than retreat (a necessary reset after years of stalled TV development).
A blow to fans of video game adaptations
For longtime Hitman players, the news lands hard. The series’ cat-and-mouse puzzles, moral gray zones, and methodical pacing seemed television-ready, a blueprint for slow-burn suspense. Wasn’t Agent 47 practically built for television? Yet this outcome underscores a stubborn truth: adaptations live or die on timing, alignment, and conviction, not brand equity alone.
There’s still a silver lining. The appetite for game-to-screen stories remains strong, and studios keep circling proven franchises (sometimes more than once). If anything, the canceled Hitman show serves as a reminder: execution matters. When the right creative plan finally meets the right window, 47 could step from the shadows again—clean suit, red tie, and all.