Amazon is turning Eight Billion Genies into a movie, and the people behind it are doing the happy dance. Collider’s Ryan O’Rourke caught Charles Soule at FanX Salt Lake City, where the writer confirmed that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Gray banner is producing the adaptation alongside Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse writer Rodney Rothman.
The project has been in development for years, and it finally has some movement. Soule told Collider that Rothman has written several drafts of the script, which Soule and co-creator Ryan Browne read over the summer. The pair are now in a holding pattern, waiting to see what happens next.
“Everything so far has been extremely positive.”
The Comic Behind the Movie
Eight Billion Genies ran for eight issues from 2022 through 2023, created by Marvel Comics veteran Charles Soule and artist Ryan Browne. The premise is simple: what if everyone on Earth suddenly had a genie that could grant them one wish?
From there, chaos ensues. People race to make their fantasies reality, while others grapple with their ever-changing world and what to use their wish on. The story primarily centers on a group of strangers who just so happen to be in a small Michigan bar when the genies arrive.
The series was published by Image Comics, and it became a hit. Amazon Studios snapped it up in an ambitious deal, hoping to build a cross-media universe starting with a film and moving to series and more. The deal came at the height of the property’s popularity in mid-2022.
Point Gray Comes Onboard
Reports surfaced in 2024 that Point Gray was coming aboard to produce, alongside Rothman. Since then, things have been mostly quiet. Until now.
Soule confirmed Point Gray’s involvement at FanX, and he shared that Rothman is several drafts deep into the development process. The talent behind the scenes is, in Soule’s words, “like your dream come true.” Everyone on both sides — Amazon, Point Gray, and Soule and Browne — loves the project.
The script is polished, and the team is waiting to see what happens next. Soule and Browne are executive producers on the film.
The Script’s Progress
Rothman wrote a “phenomenal” script, according to Soule. The creators read the latest draft in June, which Soule described as “very polished” and “a hell of a script.” It is several drafts in, and the writer has been working very hard on it.
The latest update is that Amazon Studios has been developing it as a film with Point Gray as the producer. That means Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are attached, along with Rothman. The team is working very hard on it.
The Dream Come True
Soule’s description of the talent as “your dream come true” captures the absurdity of the situation. The script is polished, the producers are top-tier, and the writers are Oscar winners. The project has everything it needs.
The only thing missing is a green light. The team is waiting to see what happens next.
What Happens Next
The project is in a holding pattern. Soule and Browne are waiting to see what happens next. The script exists, the talent exists, and the interest exists.
The update is positive. Everything so far has been extremely positive. The talent behind the scenes is, you know, it’s like your dream come true.
Everyone on both sides — Amazon, Point Gray, and Soule and Browne — wants to see the genies ship out sooner rather than later. The dream is alive.
The Platform’s Plans
Amazon Studios has become a bit of a home for comic book adaptations outside of Marvel and DC. The streamer hosts the two most popular mature superhero adaptations on television: Invincible and The Boys. Now it is adding Eight Billion Genies to the slate.
The project fits a pattern. Amazon is adapting more Image Comics series, including:
- Stillwater, starring Ben Hardy of The Conjuring: Last Rites
- Sex Criminals, led by Imogen Poots and John Reynolds
Eight Billion Genies is part of that wave.
The movie is also part of a broader push. Amazon Studios is building a cross-media universe, starting with a film and moving to series and more. Eight Billion Genies is the flagship of that plan.
The Dream Is Alive
Soule’s description of the talent as “your dream come true” captures the absurdity of the situation. The script is polished, the producers are top-tier, and the writers are Oscar winners. The project has everything it needs.
The only thing missing is a green light. The team is waiting to see what happens next.
The project has momentum. The script is polished. The talent is assembled. The dream is within reach.
Source material: “Amazon's Next Major Comic Book Adaptation From 'Spider-Verse' Writer Gets "Extremely Positive" Update [Exclusive],” Collider.
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