You wanted a sequel — instead, that underrated Denzel Washington movie is becoming a TV show

Here we go: The Book of Eli, a film that never really got its due in the post-apocalypse pile, is now being dusted off for a proper run on television—just not in the way diehard fans were probably hoping. If you were ever one of those people chipping in on forums or social media demanding a proper sequel to the 2010 film, brace yourself: what’s coming is actually a prequel series. Cue the collective groan.

The ones behind this new telly push are Alcon, who’ve just set up a brand new studio wing specifically to rummage through and repurpose old movie scripts for the small screen. And yes, The Book of Eli is on their list, straight off the exclusive at Deadline.

The TV series will explore events that happened before the 2010 film, not continue Eli's story beyond the original ending.

The Original Film in a Nutshell

If you never got round to seeing it (or just need a refresher), the original stars actual acting heavyweights—Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman—with support from the likes of Jennifer Beals, Tom Waits, Mila Kunis, Michael Gambon, Joe Pingue, Evan Jones, Chris Browning, and Ray Stevenson. The plot follows Eli trudging through a broken, lawless America clutching a book that, for some reason, seems to be mankind’s last shot at salvation. Think lone-wolf Western, but grimy and post-nuke.

• The movie came out in 2010, directed by the Hughes brothers.
• Denzel plays Eli, the Bible-toting wanderer.
• Gary Oldman is Carnegie, the villain desperate for the book's power.
• It’s brutal, dusty, and—aside from a few absurdities—oddly memorable.

Fans spent years pestering anyone who’d listen for a follow-up, given the way the film ended—so the decision to walk the story backwards instead of forwards is bound to cause some teeth-gnashing.

How the Film Ended (Spoilers If You Care 16 Years On)

The climax has Eli and Solara finally landing at a stronghold on Alcatraz, home to a scrappy group intent on saving art and knowledge. Despite suffering mortal wounds (and, here’s the head-scratcher, being blind), Eli recites the entire King James Bible from memory for the keepers. Once it’s written down, he peacefully dies—hero box ticked.

Oldman’s Carnegie comes out a proper loser: the Braille Bible he bullied away from Eli is utterly useless to him, and he promptly keels over from an untreated wound. The keepers, meanwhile, start running off fresh copies of the sacred text on an ancient press, tucking the new Bible up on a shelf next to the Torah and Qur’an and calling it a day.

Alcon's new TV division is specifically tasked with taking film scripts—like The Book of Eli—and reimagining them for television.