Image Comics' Wayward has been optioned by UK-based Manga Entertainment for television development as a Japanese animated or live-action series.

Writer Jim Zub (Uncanny Avengers, Glitterbomb), who is also the co-founder of Udon Studios, will oversee the project with the book's illustrator, Steven Cummings (Deadshot, Street Fighter), as creative consultants, working on the story treatment as well as character designs.

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Launched in 2014, Wayward is an action-drama set in modern Tokyo focusing on the Yokia -- mystical Japanese creatures, battling against teenagers imbued with newfound supernatural powers. Zub, a Canadian writer who was nominated for a Harvey and Shuster Award in the past, said, "As soon as Jerome [Mazandarani, COO of Manga Entertainment] and I started talking about a collaboration, I had a good feeling Manga Entertainment would be the right place to develop Wayward. The crew at Manga intimately understand the anime market and have helped popularize some of the biggest brands in that space. As Japanese art and animation continues to go global, co-producing Wayward at a Japanese studio with Manga taking the lead is a natural choice."

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Founded in 1987, Manga Entertainment began as a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United Kingdom, quickly earning its reputation as the UK's largest anime distributor with revered anime brands including Ghost in the Shell, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Bleach and Death Note. It also specializes in the licensing, marketing and distribution of Japanese animation and other beloved new/classic pop culture franchises like Halo, Transformers, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh.

(via JimZub.com)