FX Commissions Y:The Last Man Pilot
by Erik Amaya
It’s been a long road for Y:The Last Man to find its way to television. In fact, it’s almost been as long as the journey Yorick and Ampersand take in the comic book series. But there may finally be light ahead.
Deadline reports FX has ordered a pilot based on the series by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra. The pilot script comes courtesy of former American Gods co-showrunner Michael Green, who will run the Y series alongside Aida Mashaka Croal should FX pick up the show. Melina Matsoukas is set to direct the pilot.
The Vertigo comic book, which began in 2002 and wrapped up in 2008, explored a world in which all the mammals with the Y chromosome suddenly die. Well, all except for amateur escape Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand. Accompanied by a former government agent and a geneticist, the four travel the partially collapsed Unite States — and then the world — to find out why Yorick and Ampersand survived and to discover if they can salvage the human race for almost certain extinction.
A film version of Y nearly happened in 2007 with D.J. Caruso set to direct and actors like Shia LaBeouf and Zachary Levi rumored for Yorick. Caruso eventually left the project as New Line Cinema wanted the story to be told in one film while the director wanted to produce a trilogy. Though New Line continued to develop the film, Vaughn announced in 2014 that the film rights reverted to himself and Guerra.
FX has been developing the series since 2015 with by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and Vaughan producing. All three are set to be executive producers of this latest iteration with Green and Mastoukas also receiving EP credit.
It remains to be seen how quickly the project will come together, but patience is certainly required when it comes to Y: The Last Man.
