Shane Black Adapting ‘The Executioner’ Books

The writer/director is tackling the prolific set of novels originated by Don Pendleton, which follow the missions of sniper-turned-vigilante Mack Bolan.

Director Shane Black at the premiere of 'Play Dirty'. Photo: Prime Video.

Preview:

Shane Black will co-write and may direct ‘The Executioner’ for Sony.
It would be based on Don Pendleton’s novels.
Joel Silver is aboard to produce.

Known for bringing tough guys to the screen in entertaining fashion, Shane Black has found one more to focus on –– The Hollywood Reporter brings word that he’s aboard to co-write a movie based on the pulpy action thriller books originated by writer Don Pendleton under the blanket title ‘The Executioner.’

With producer Joel Silver –– who has a long connection to Black and has his own history trying to adapt the book –– also involved, the new movie is coming together because Sony managed to snag the rights.

And Black has brought in frequent collaborators Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry to co-write the first script.

What’s the story of ‘The Executioner’?

Director Shane Black at the premiere of 'Play Dirty'. Photo: Prime Video.

The book series that told the muscular and bullet-filled adventures of Mack Bolan, a sniper turned one man army fighting against the Mafia, the KGB, terrorists and cyber-criminals, or whoever were the bad guys of his latest book’s era.

Initially the books were written by Pendleton but later ghost writers were hired as he licensed out the books, which at their height were being churned out upwards of two a month and in the end numbered 464 books. The series ran from 1969 to 2020 (Pendleton died in 1995), selling hundreds of millions copies worldwide, spawned spin-off book lines, a magazine and comics.

Who else has tried to adapt ‘The Executioner’ series?

This one has quite the history. Among those who have tried (and failed) thanks to complex rights issues include Silver himself, William Friedkin, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Steve McQueen and, more recently, Bradley Cooper.

Bradley Cooper attends Netflix's 'Maestro' LA special screening at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.