For over twenty years, Hollywood has tried to bring an infamous unsolved case, investigated by one of America's most famous lawmen, to the big screen. And now, the highly coveted rights to the true-crime graphic novel, Torso, have finally been acquired by Netflix in a significant deal.

The adaptation of this decades-long effort is now ready to begin its next stage of development.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has officially picked up the movie rights to Torso, which is currently in early development as a feature film. The deal for the rights was reportedly secured for a seven-figure sum following the competitive bidding war. This high-value acquisition highlights Netflix's commitment to prestige true-crime fare.

With no writer or director currently attached, the project has a formidable producing team. Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment is partnering with Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind Weapons, who will produce through his Subconscious banner.

 Alex Hedlund and Nick Antosca will also produce under their Eat the Cat shingle, known for acclaimed real-life dramas such as Candy, asreported by The Hollywood Reporter. Bendis and Andreyko will serve as executive producers on the adaptation of their graphic novel.

The project's premise, described as having The Untouchables meets Zodiac tones, has made it a Hollywood favorite for years. David Fincher, the Zodiac director, was slated to direct an adaptation for Paramount in the early 2000s. However, the studio blinked at the proposed high budget and Fincher's desire for a black-and-white film, allowing the rights to eventually lapse.

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The chilling narrative is rooted in a horrifying, real-life series of unsolved murders that captivated a nation.

The graphic novel, Torso, is based on the Cleveland Torso Murders, a terrifying and real series of serial killings that occurred between 1935 and 1938. The victims were often decapitated and dismembered, with their torsos left in the impoverished Kingsbury Run area near Lake Erie. Due to the lack of fingerprints or dental records for many of the victims, their identities were mostly never determined.

The central figure in the graphic novel is Eliot Ness, who had just arrived in Cleveland as the Director of Public Safety following his legendary Chicago triumph over Al Capone and the Untouchables. Despite his best efforts, the killer was never officially captured or identified, leaving the case an infamous unsolved mystery in American true-crime history.

The graphic novel meticulously recreated the atmosphere of 1930s Cleveland, drawing directly from historical photographs and the original case files accessed by writer Brian Michael Bendis.

The true and unresolved nature of the case, combined with the presence of a historical figure like Ness, provides the compelling context, relevant input, and related true-crime input that makes the story so ripe for dramatic adaptation.

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Are you excited to see Netflix finally bring this adaptation of Torso to life? Let us know in the comments below.