Vanessa Kirby has begun filming Liminal, an Apple TV+ science-fiction thriller adapted from a 2022 graphic novel, alongside Emmy-winning actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The film explores a world where electromagnetic disturbance grants telepathic abilities to a fraction of the population. According to the report, production is underway on the streets of New York under director Louis Leterrier.

Straczynski's Eisner-winning graphic novel becomes Kirby's next major platform

Liminal is based on the 2022 graphic novel by J. Michael Straczynski, Steve Epting, and Brian Reber—a collaboration that earned Straczynski an Eisner Award, the industry's highest honour. The source reports that the film's plot details remain confidential, though the underlying graphic novel centres on an alternative society where ten percent of the population suddenly develops telepathic powers following an electromagnetic event. This adaptation marks another high-profile role for Kirby, 38, who has built a career spanning prestige television (The Crown) and major film franchises (the Fantastic Four films as Sue Storm).

Apple TV+ has positioned itself as a destination for prestige science-fiction adaptations in recent years, and Liminal fits that strategy.. The pairing of Kirby with Abdul-Mateen II—who won an Emmy for his role in Watchmen—signals the studio's investment in casting established talent for the project. As the report notes, cameras have already rolled on dramatic scenes in New York, with Kirby handling prop weapons for action sequences.

Louis Leterrier directs a story that remains largely under wraps

Director Louis Leterrier, known for his work on action-driven films and the Marvel series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, helms the adaptation. Beyond the graphic novel's core premise—a world fractured by sudden telepathic emergence—the film's specific narrative arc, character arcs, and thematic focus have not been disclosed. According to the report, plot details are being kept confidential, a common practice for major streaming productions during early production phases.

This secrecy leaves several questions about how faithfully the adaptation will follow Straczynski's source material, and whether the film will expand or compress the graphic novel's scope for a theatrical or streaming runtime.

The source material's premise: ten percent of humanity awakens to telepathy

The 2022 AWA graphic novel that inspired Liminal imagines a scenario in which electromagnetic disturbance triggers a sudden, irreversible shift in human consciousness. Rather than a gradual evolution or a universal change, the graphic novel's world is divided: ninety percent of humanity remains unchanged, while ten percent gains telepathic ability. This asymmetry creates inherent social and political tension—a setup that typically invites exploration of power imbalance, discrimination, and conflict between the telepathic minority and the non-telepathic majority.

How the film adaptation will dramatise this premise—whether it focuses on individual characters navigating their new abilities, on institutional or governmental response,or on interpersonal conflict—remains unclear from available information.

What remains unknown about the Apple TV+ adaptation

The report provides no timeline for release, no confirmation of additional cast members beyond Kirby and Abdul-Mateen II, and no detail on whether the film will be a limited series, a standalone feature,or part of a larger franchise plan. It is also unclear whether Straczynski is involved in the screenplay adaptation or serves in a consulting capacity. The source does not address how the production's New York location will serve the story's visual or thematic needs, nor does it clarify whether other major cast or crew have been announced.