And here you thought Smallville was the beginning of the Superman legend...
The Hollywood Reporter has word that the Superman prequel series Krypton has landed at Syfy, with Man of Steel screenwriter David S. Goyer and Once Upon a Time's Ian Goldberg scripting the pilot and executive producing.
According to the article, Krypton will be from Warner Horizon Television and DC Comics, and "takes place years before the Superman legend we know, when the House of El was shamed and ostracized. This drama, which is in development, follows the Man of Steel's grandfather as he brings hope and equality to Krypton, turning a planet in disarray into one worthy of giving birth to the greatest Super Hero ever known."
First rumored at the end of October, Krypton is the latest in an ever-growing listing of DC Comics properties adapted for television, after Titans on TNT, Preacher on AMC, Supergirl on CBS, and The CW's upcoming iZombie joining existing shows Arrow, Gotham, The Flash and Constantine.
Syfy continues to focus on more space operas and less cheesy, low-budget projects such as Sharknado, which have discouraged science fiction fans that flocked to the cable network with the remake of Battlestar Galactica. Current series as Defiance and the upcoming Ascension and 12 Monkeys bring hope that Syfy is finally making an effort to recapture their roots instead of settling for the lowest common denominator.
Created in 1939 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the fictional planet Krypton first appeared in Superman (vol.1) #1 in a brief origin that merely stated, "Just before the doomed planet, Krypton, exploded to fragments, a scientist placed his infant son within an experimental rocket-ship, launching it toward Earth!" Over the years, the history of the planet was developed further, with revelations that in addition to Superman, his cousin Supergirl, Supergirl's parents Zor-El and Allura, his dog Krypto, Argo City, and various Phantom Zone criminals had escaped the planet's destruction.
The destruction of Krypton has been reimagined numerous times, including the limited series Man of Steel by John Byrne, Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid and Leinil Francis Yu, and Superman: Secret Origin by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. It's also featured prominently in the films Superman (1978), Superman II and Man of Steel, and has appeared in various television series including Adventures of Superman, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville. In addition, Krypton has turned up in animated projects including the Superman cartoon shorts from Fleischer Studios, Super Friends and Superman: The Animated Series.