Netflix Officially Teaming With Lethal Weapon Creator To Adapt 5-Book Spy Series

Published Aug 20, 2026, 4:54 PM EDT Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour. Netflix is developing a new spy drama with the help of Shane Black, the creator of the Lethal Weapon franchise. The popular streamer has released several spy shows over the years, including The Night Agent, The Recruit, FUBAR and Black Doves. The Night Agent has proven to be very popular for Netflix, with the third season having just premiered earlier this year and a final season in the works. As The Night Agent gets ready for its farewell run, Netflix is making sure there's another spy drama to take its place. It was just announced that Black and Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Craig Silverstein are teaming up to adapt John R. Maxim's Bannerman book series, which includes The Bannerman Solution, The Bannerman Effect, Bannerman's Law, Bannerman's Promise and Bannerman's Ghosts. The novels were released from 1989 to 2003. Maxim's stories revolve around the titular character, Paul Bannerman, a former spy and covert operative trying to live a peaceful and quiet retirement. That doesn't last long, though, as he eventually finds himself back in the action he walked away from. Banerman's professional and personal lives soon converge when a former police officer, who just so happens to be his girlfriend's dad, makes shocking accusations. Silverstein is serving as showrunner of Netflix's upcoming spy thriller, and will also write the scripts and executive-produce with Black. Along with those duties, the Lethal Weapon creator will sit in the director's chair for the first two episodes of the season. Other executive producers include Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten. Bannerman will be co-produced by both Netflix and AMC Studios in a first-of-its-kind agreement between the two companies. The series will first make its debut on the AMC linear network in the United States and Canada before being released on Netflix 90 days after the finale airs on TV. Internationally, it will be available on both Netflix and AMC in Australia, New Zealand and Spain, with Netflix being the sole platform in all other countries. In a statement, Dan McDermott, AMC Studios president and AMC Global Media's chief content officer, said that Bannerman is the "perfect drama to kick off our first co-production with Netflix" since the spy drama is a "smart, high-octane thrill ride of a series." The executive added that he can't wait to expand and evolve the partnership going forward. “Bannerman is a smart, high-octane thrill ride of a series, powered by an extraordinary creative team. This is the perfect premium drama to kick off our first co-production with Netflix, and we are thrilled to continue evolving and expanding our partnership by jointly developing and producing select original series for our respective platforms.” Black is best known for creating the Lethal Weapon franchise and writing the script for the first film, which came out in 1987 to positive reviews and a $120 million box office haul. That success led to three sequels being released from 1989 to 1998. To date, the franchise has grossed almost $1 billion. Almost two decades after Lethal Weapon 4, FOX premiered a TV show that aired for three seasons. Outside of that property, Black has also worked on movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and The Predator. After directing the Mark Wahlberg thriller Play Dirty in 2025, he's heading to the small screen for his next project. Cast members and a release date have not yet been announced for Netflix's Bannerman. Netflix is a global streaming service offering on-demand access to movies, TV shows, documentaries, and original content. Founded in 1997 as a DVD rental service, it transitioned to streaming in 2007 and now operates in over 190 countries.