HBO Max Will Develop an Aqualad Origin Series With Charlize Theron as Producer

HBO Max is set to develop a live-action series that tells the origin story of DC Comics’ Aqualad. The program is based on the young adult graphic novel You Brought Me the Ocean by Alex Sanchez and Julie Maroh. While the series does not yet have a writer or cast attached, Charlize Theron will serve as a producer.

Aqualad is a young DC superhero featured in the graphic novel ‘You Brought Me the Ocean’

You Brought Me the Ocean tells the origin story of Aqualad through Jake Hyde, a teenager in New Mexico who yearns for life on the coast. Though he stopped swimming after his father drowned, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the idea of leaving the desert for the ocean. 

Per DC Comics, “Jake is full of secrets, including the strange blue markings on his skin that glow when in contact with water.”

As he navigates the emerging powers that allow him to control water, he also wades through personal relationships. In particular, he begins to develop feelings for high school swim team captain Kenny Liu.

The Jake Hyde version of Aqualad first appeared on the animated series Young Justice and has since appeared in comic books. Aqualad appears as a character named Garth in the HBO Max series Titans.

HBO Max is developing a series of ‘You Brought Me the Ocean’ 

In 2022, HBO Max announced plans to develop the graphic novel into a dramedy series. Episodes will be one hour long. Per Variety, the series will explore Jake’s high school life and his connection to the water. It will show Jake as he hones his water-based abilities and falls in love with Kenny.

Currently, the series does not have a writer attached to it. Charlize Theron, A.J. Dix, Beth Kono, and Andrew Haas will be executive producers through Theron’s production company, Denver & Delilah Productions. Warner Bros. Television will serve as the studio. 

Charlize Theron is an accomplished producer

Through Denver & Delilah Productions, Theron has produced a number of projects. In 2020, the company signed a two-year TV deal with HBO and HBO Max, but it has created content for years. This includes films Theron has starred in, like Young Adult, Atomic Blonde, and Bombshell. It also produced the Netflix series Girlboss and Mindhunter.

She shared that she wants to use the company to bring diverse stories to the screen.

“You cannot tell the universal, diverse stories of this earth that we live on without women and their participation,” she told Elle. “You just can’t do it—it’s impossible.”