Prime Video is officially adding another raunchy, mature-rated comic book adaptation to its streaming library. MCU star Kumail Nanjiani has found his next project, but he won’t be playing your average superhero this time around. Instead, he will write and produce an adaptation of one of the most highly lauded sci-fi graphic novels in recent memory. It has been announced that a television adaptation of Sex Criminals, a comic book by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, has received a series order from Amazon. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon are behind the upcoming project, which will span eight episodes. Gotham scribe Tze Chun also forms part of the creative team. The story follows a couple who become bank thieves after they realize they have the power to stop time when they have sex. Nanjiani is set to appear in the series, but he will not have a starring role. Gordon and Nanjiani shared the following statement to celebrate the announcement:
“Sex Criminals is the exact kind of thing Winter Coat aims to bring to life: love stories in weird places. From the moment LuckyChap brought us Matt and Chip’s comic book, we knew we wanted to bring these characters to screen and are so excited to do that alongside Tze Chun and Prime Video.”
Published by Image Comics, Sex Criminals ran from 2013 until 2020 and revolved around a couple, Suzie, a librarian, and Jon, an actor, who become aware that they share the same superpower: to stop time after reaching sexual climax. Naturally, they become wanted thieves, garnering the close attention of a secret organization. The trippy, time-bending affair mixed comedy and erotic thrills to great success, winning Best New Series at the Eisner Awards 2014.
It’s Been a Long Road for the ‘Sex Criminals’ TV Adaptation

Image Comics

While Prime Video has now nabbed the rights to make Sex Criminals into a series, it’s been a long road for the long-awaited adaptation. After the series blew up in 2013, it only took two years for Matt Fraction to garner interest from Universal Television to transfer the comic book to the small screen. A deal was reportedly struck in 2015, which included various works from Fraction and his wife, Kelly Sue DeConnick. The Sex Criminals was meant to be the first project to get a small-screen adaptation, but it never got off the ground.

Now, a decade later, Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s award-winning work is finally headed to Prime Video. No stranger to producing raunchy, R-rated comic book adaptations, it sounds like Amazon is up to the challenge to adapt the adult-oriented graphic novel series. Peter Friedlander, the global head of television at Amazon MGM Studios, shared his excitement over the Sex Criminals series order, praising the property as a “bold, hilarious, and wildly original” love story.
“Sex Criminals is bold, hilarious, and wildly original, with a love story at its core that feels both deeply human and completely unexpected. Emily, Kumail, and Tze have brought a fresh, and emotionally grounded take to this incredible property. With our collaborators at LuckyChap, Winter Coat Films, and comic book creators Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, we’re thrilled to bring this unforgettable world and its characters to our global Prime Video audience.”