Fox has yet to order its first pilot this January. Among the scripts that are heating up is the action-adventure X-Men series written by Burn Notice creator Matt Nix. Early versions of the script had been received enthusiastically at Fox as well as producing studios 20th Century Fox TV and Marvel TV. Fox chairman Gary Newman noted to Deadline that he expects the final draft to come in shortly and a pilot pickup within the next week or two. Exploratory casting already is underway, with the process expected to ramp up once the official greenlight comes.



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The untitled series, which had a put pilot commitment, focuses on two ordinary parents who discover their children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins up with an underground network of mutants and must fight to survive. The show appears particularly timely, dealing with the plight of minorities in society.

Nix exec produced with Bryan Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg, plus Marvel’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory.

The X-Men series is one of two marquee superhero dramas with big commitments at Fox this season, along with DC/Warner Bros TV’s Black Lightning. A pending pickup for X-Men has no bearing on Black Lightning. The two series easily could coexist together, Fox entertainment president David Madden said.