NBC has acquired themselves a series about a man with a very particular set of skills. According to a story at Deadline, a Taken TV series is on the way and has just been given a full season order by the network. Luc Besson, who produced the film series and who had a hand in writing all three big screen entries, will produce the Taken TV series through EuropaCorp.
According to the outlet, the plan is for the Taken TV series to offer a prequel of sorts to the films, exploring the early life of the Liam Neeson character, ex-covert operative Bryan Mills. Despite the Taken TV series following a younger Mills, though, it will be set in present day, serving as a prequel to the film franchise in the same way that Bates Motel serves as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.
Released in 2009, the first Taken was directed by Pierre Morel and opened to an impressive $226 million worldwide. Olivier Megaton took the director’s chair for both the sequel, 2012’s Taken 2, and the third and final film, this year’s Taken 3. Both films performed even better than the first, with Taken 2 bringing in $376 million worldwide and Taken 3 earning $325 million.
Executive producing the Taken TV series alongside Besson are EuropaCorp President Matthew Gross and EuropaCorp Television co-chairs Thomas Anargyros and Edouard de Vesinne.
Although Taken may be finished on the big screen for the time being, you can always check out the faux trailer for Taken 4 that Jimmy Kimmel made with Liam Neeson starring.
