Lion Forge Entertainment is joining forces with author and television creator George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon) to adapt Howard Waldrop’s novella A Dozen Tough Jobs into an adult animated feature film. A bold reimagining of Greek Mythology’s 12 Labors of Hercules, the film transports the mythic tale to 1920s Mississippi, where Hercules is re-envisioned as a former sharecropper fighting to regain his freedom.
The movie will be produced by Martin, Lion Forge Entertainment CEO & founder David Steward II and Lion Forge President & Chief Creative Officer Stephanie Sperber.
“If anyone understands the power of epic stories and expansive franchises, it’s George R.R. Martin,” said Steward. “With A Dozen Tough Jobs, we’re reimagining a timeless legend through fresh, culturally rich lenses. This isn’t just a retelling — it’s a groundbreaking take, unlike anything audiences have seen before, grounded in history but pushing myth into uncharted territory.”
Award-winning author Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep, Hap & Leonard) is writing the screenplay. Emmy-winning French animation studio Blue Spirit (Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai) will provide animation services for the film under Lion Forge Animation (Hair Love, Iyanu).
“We are looking forward to working with Blue Spirit, one of the best animation houses working in the field today,” said Sperber. “Their elevated style and craft will bring the world of 1920s deep South to life in a way that will make audiences sit up and take notice, just as they did with Blue Eye Samurai.”
Eleanor Coleman, International Presales & Business Development at Blue Spirit Studios, added, “Olivier [Lelardoux, Managing Director] and I are thrilled to bring our extensive service work experience on award winning adult animation to A Dozen Tough Jobs, an ambitious groundbreaking feature. We relish the opportunity to join forces with Lion Forge and George R.R. Martin and look forward to forging a unique and invincible partnership.”
Synopsis: Set in a world filled with good ol’ boys, southern belles, children of ex-slaves, chain gangs and rum-runners, A Dozen Tough Jobs offers an unexpected backdrop for this gothic, magical-realist re-telling of the Hercules hero’s journey.
Descended from slaves, Hercules has just been released from prison for a heinous crime, being remanded into servitude under the wicked Boss Eustice. To avoid being sent back to prison, he must complete an escalating series of deadly adventures that mirror the 12 Labors: slaying the Nemean lion, stealing the golden apples from the Hesperides and abducting the three-headed dog Cerberus from Hades. From the swamps of the bayou to the gates of Hell, his journey of penance will lead to freedom … if he survives.
An acclaimed novelist, screenwriter and producer, George R. R. Martin is best known for his bestselling fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the Emmy-winning HBO series Game of Thrones.
Howard Waldrop, a lifelong friend of Martin’s, was an acclaimed short story writer and winner of the Science Fiction Writers of American Nebula Award as well as the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Martin is represented by WME. Lion Forge Entertainment is represented by Activist Artists Management and Lumify Entertainment. Lansdale is represented by Intellectual Property Group (IPG).
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