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Cinemax is moving forward with Outcast, the dramatic adaptation of The Walking Dead creator’s new exorcism comic.
Robert Kirkman, who created the comics that the AMC drama is based on, announced that Cinemax has picked up Outcast to pilot on Friday via Twitter, writing “Demons are the new zombies” before thanking partners Cinemax and Fox International Channels. With several shows in development, this marks his first pilot.
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Cinemax landed Outcast after a multiple-network bidding war in November, handing out a script commitment with a large penalty attached. The comic and potential series centers on Kyle Barnes, who has been plagued by possession since he was a child. Now an adult, he embarks on a spiritual journey to find answers, but what he uncovers could mean the end of life on Earth as we know it.
Kirkman will pen the pilot script — a first for him — and executive produce alongside Circle of Confusion’s David Alpert (The Walking Dead). The drama, which was first announced in March, hails from Fox International Channels, the company that distributes Walking Dead worldwide and a strategic partner on the zombie drama that identified AMC’s ratings juggernaut during its script stage. Sue Naegle, Chris Black and Sharon Tal Yguado of FIC will also exec produce.
The first issue of the comic, released in June, exceeded sales for Kirkman’s Image/Skybound title The Walking Dead, and debuted to rave reviews. Issue No. 2 will be released Saturday at Comic-Con in San Diego.
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For Kirkman, this marks the writer/executive producer’s fourth comic adaptation in the works. In addition to AMC’s The Walking Dead, Kirkman is prepping a scripted companion series to the ratings hit with EPs Gale Anne Hurd and Alpert. The untitled project, which AMC hopes to have on the air in 2015, is also based on Kirkman’s long-running zombie comics and is the third series (including Chris Hardwick-hosted gabfest The Talking Dead) tied to the franchise.
Additionally, Kirkman’s Image/Skybound title Thief of Thieves is also in development at AMC with Alpert attached. Kirkman, who oversees Image Comics imprint Skybound as CEO, will also executive produce an adaptation of David Schulner‘s comic Clone for Syfy.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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