Patrick Stewart and Sam Claflin to star in a series adaptation of Barbaric with Michael Bay directing

Sam Claflin and Patrick Stewart are poised to join Michael Bay for a series adaptation of the hyper-violent Vault comic series Barbaric.

Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek) is busy sharpening his axe while Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones & the Six, Peaky Blinders) practices his war cries for an adaptation of the Vault comic series Barbaric. The series adaptation is preparing to engage in battle on Netflix with Michael Bay as the project’s director. In addition to his starring role, Claflin is an executive producer of the bloodthirsty series from A+E Studios and Sheldon Turner & Jennifer Klein’s studio-based 100% Productions.

Sheldon Turner is writing Barbaric, which Deadline says is a mashup of Deadpool meets Game of Thrones with over-the-top violence, limb-chopping action, and biting humor. Michael Moreci (The Plot, Wasted Space, Spree) writes Barbaric with art by Nathan Gooden (The Autumnal, Vampire: The Masquerade – Winter’s Teeth).

Here’s the official synopsis for Barbaric Vol. 1 from Vault:

Owen the Barbarian has been cursed to do good with what remains of his life. His bloodthirsty weapon, Axe, has become his moral compass with a drinking problem. Together, they wander the realm, foredoomed to help any who seek assistance. But there is one thing Owen hates more than a life with rules: Witches.

Welcome to the skull-cracking, blood-splattering, mayhem-loving comic brave enough to ask: How can a man sworn to do good do so much violence? Hah! F***ing with you. It’s just…BARBARIC.

Sam Claflin plays Owen, the barbarian cursed to set the world right, while Patrick Stewart voices Owen’s talking (and horny) axe. If Barbaric comes to pass, the series will become Michael Bay’s first TV directing gig. Bay has an existing relationship with Netflix, where he debuted the Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese-scripted action thriller 6 Underground. The outrageous concept for Barbaric gives Bay plenty of room to bring his bombastic action chops to the project.

Other characters likely to appear in Barbaric include Soren, a powerful witch with a mysterious past. Despite his hatred for her kind, Owen and Soren become allies as they share a thirst for blood and vengeance. Another character bound to appear in Netflix’s Barbaric is Steel, Owen’s former companion with a history of absurd violence. The roots of their friendship run deep, having shared the battlefield on several occasions.

What do you think about the concept of Barbaric? Are you ready for Patrick Stewart to voice a horny axe? I hope so.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.