If the Internet is good for something, it’s helping indie projects and their creators get the recognition and funding they deserve. Raising Dion started off as a short video (seen below) and comic that is now set to get its on ten-episode Netflix series.
Created by Dennis Liu, the story follows Nicole, a single mother as she raises her son Dion, a young boy with a seemingly endless array of powers, like making fire, teleporting, telekinesis, and more. However, she becomes increasingly aware that people want her capture her sons for nefarious purposes. But worst of all, Dion might be his own worst enemy, showing some dark tendencies among the the goodness in his heart. His mother sees it as her job to steer him in the right direction, as well as protect him from the rest of the world.
“I always thought it’d be interesting to do Batman but from the point of view of Alfred,” Liu said in an email to The Guardian. “What if Alfred doesn’t do it right? Or Superman from [his mother] Martha Kent’s point of view. If she doesn’t do it right, what will he become?”
The short appeared two years ago, followed swiftly by a comic adaptation that goes further into Nicole’s backstory and how Dion came to be. Michael B. Jordan is already set with a supporting role, with Barbee as the showrunner and executive producer along with Liu, and Michael Green as the writer and producer.
“I started this project many years ago because I wanted to see more diverse representation on film and television and I’m excited to partner with Netflix, who I know shares that commitment,” Liu said in the press release. “More than ever, we need more stories told from different points of view and my hope with ‘Raising Dion’ is to create a cinematic experience for all families that will lift your spirits and make you laugh and cry.”
Raising Dion does not currently have a release date.
