Tag Archives: universal cable productions

Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles is Being Adapted as Part of an Overall Deal

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Grant Morrison and Universal Cable Productions are staying in business together after the success of Happy and Brave New World. As part of the deal Morrison will team with the cable-focused studio to produce content for linear and streaming.

The first project will be adapt his popular comic series The Invisibles. The series is set in 2020 and features a group of occult freedom fighters who look to better the world for everyone by any means necessary. The Invisibles ran for 59 issues over 3 volumes from 1994 to 2000. It was published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics. Written by Morrison it featuring numerous artists.

The second season of Morrison, and Darick Robertson’s, Happy is in production for SyFy and Morrison is working on adapting Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World also for SyFy.

Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse’s Resident Alien is Picked Up by Syfy as a Pilot

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Syfy has announced that Resident Alien, a drama based on the Dark Horse comics series of the same name by co-creators Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, has been picked up to pilot. From Universal Cable Productions, the series was adapted to television by executive producer Chris Sheridan. Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg of Dark Horse Entertainment, and Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank of Amblin TV will also executive produce.

Resident Alien is a dark, twisted and comedic fish-out-of-water story that follows a crash-landed alien named Harry who, after taking on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor, slowly begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his secret mission on Earth — ultimately asking the question, “Are human beings worth saving?”

Resident Alien is the first pilot to be picked up off of SYFY’s 2018 development slate. This is the latest comic series to come to the small screen on the channel. Krypton, Happy!, and Wynonna Earp, and Van Helsing have all aired already with Deadly Class in development.

Rick Remender and Wes Craig’s Deadly Class Gets a First Look Trailer

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Rick Remender and Wes Craig‘s Deadly Class has received a series order from SyFy. The comic series turned television property was optioned by Joe and Anthony Russo, the duo behind Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Deadly Class is published by Image Comics.

Remender and Miles Orion Feldsott adapted the comic for television and will executive produce alongside the Russos and Mike Larocca. Sony Pictures and Universal Cable Productions are producing the series.

The story is set in the 1980s and follows homeless teens who are recruited into an elite private school that caters to crime families.

The television series features Benedict Wong, Lana Condor, Benjamin Wadsworth, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Luke Tennie, Liam James, Michel Duval, and Henry Rollins.

This is the latest comic turned television show for SyFy. The channel is currently airing Krypton and recently ran Happy!. Wynonna Earp has received multiple seasons. Roche Limit, another Image series, is getting a pilot order.

Deadly Class Gets Ordered to Series by SyFy

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Rick Remender and Wes Craig‘s Deadly Class has received a series order from SyFy. The comic series turned television property was optioned by Joe and Anthony Russo, the duo behind Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. The two are also working on adapting Valiant Entertainment’s Quantum and Woody. Deadly Class is published by Image Comics.

Remender and Miles Orion Feldsott adapted the comic for television and will executive produce alongside the Russos and Mike Larocca. Sony Pictures and Universal Cable Productions are producing the series.

The story is set in the 1980s and follows homeless teens who are recruited into an elite private school that caters to crime families.

The television series features Benedict Wong, Lana Condor, Benjamin Wadsworth, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Luke Tennie, Liam James, Michel Duval, and Henry Rollins.

This is the latest comic turned television show for SyFy. The channel is currently airing Krypton and recently ran Happy!. Wynonna Earp has received multiple seasons. Roche Limit, another Image series, is getting a pilot order.

The Fifth Beatle Being Developed as a Limited Event Scripted Series

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Bravo Media has announced the development of a limited event series based on the award winning graphic novel The Fifth Beatle. From Universal Cable Productions (UCP) and Sonar Entertainment, the project is based on Eisner Award-winning and Tony Award-winning producer Vivek J. Tiwary’s critically acclaimed bestselling graphic novel, The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story, exploring the complicated personal life of the band’s visionary manager who helped catapult the Fab Four to international stardom. Tiwary will pen the series adaptation and serve as executive producer along with Leopoldo Gout. The project includes Tiwary’s access to the John Lennon-Paul McCartney song catalog, the first Beatles-related biopic to secure such rights.

The Fifth Beatle recounts the true story of the legendary Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, a brilliant yet often tormented dreamer who discovered the band in the Cavern Club in Liverpool, then nurtured, protected and guided them to unprecedented worldwide success. As a gay Jewish man living in 1960s England where homosexuality was a felony, Epstein was a double outsider who struggled to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.  He was instrumental in the Fab Four’s rise to fame and saw their potential when no one else did. Yet behind the music, Epstein suffered from loneliness and his crushing desires to be one of the boys and belong. Epstein grew to become not only the engineer of Beatlemania, but also a key architect of the cultural revolution of the sixties with his ambition to change the world and spread the Beatles’ messages of love and peace.

Published by Dark Horse Comics, The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story was written by Vivek J. Tiwary with art by Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle Baker.

The graphic novel has had a rocky road going from page to screen. In 2015 it was announced that Syco Entertainment and IM Global would bring it to the big screen. In March 2016, it was announced that Sonar Entertainment was developing the graphic novel as a multi-part television event series.

The Umbrella Academy Gets Ellen Page to Star based on the Comic by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá

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Deadline is reporting that Ellen Page will be one of the leads for The Umbrella Academy, a live-action series based on the comic series by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá, and published by Dark Horse Comics. The show is set to premiere in 2018 on Netflix and is from Universal Cable Productions.

The comic series was published in 2007 and ran until 2013. Rumors of a new run have persisted over the years. Luther, Diego, Allison, Vanya, Klaus and Number Five are a dysfunctional family of superheroes who attempt to solve the death of their father. The series takes place in an alternate history where John F. Kennedy was never assassinated, and primarily set in 1977.

Page will play Vanya, aka The White Violin, is the black sheep of the family and has no apparent special abilities.

This isn’t the first time Page has been involved in a live action comic adaptation. She played Kitty Pryde most recently in X-Men: Days of Future Past as well as X-Men: the Last Stand both based on the Marvel property, the X-Men.

Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s Umbrella Academy Comes to Netflix

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Netflix will bring the ten-episode series The Umbrella AcademyGerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s Umbrella Academy Comes to Netflix to members worldwide in 2018.

Based on the popular, Eisner award-winning comics and graphic novels created and written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy is a live action series that follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes (The Umbrella Academy) — The Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror, and The White Violin — as they work together to solve their father’s mysterious death while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities. Published by Dark Horse Comics, the comic series garnered much praise from fans and critics alike for its alternate and twisted take on the superhero genre.

The Umbrella Academy will be produced by Universal Cable Productions. Steve Blackman (Fargo, Altered Carbon) will serve as executive producer and showrunner, with additional executive producers Bluegrass Television and Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg from Dark Horse Entertainment. Gerard Way will serve as co-executive producer. The pilot script was adapted from the comic book series by Jeremy Slater (The Exorcist).

To celebrate this exciting news, Dark Horse is offering San Diego Comic-Con attendees the chance to meet Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá! On Friday, July 21 from 11:00 to 11:50 a.m., Dark Horse will welcome Gerard and Gabriel for a special wristband-only signing at Booth #2615 at the San Diego Convention Center. Wristbands will be distributed by a random drawing in the Dark Horse Comics Booth #2615 on both Thursday (July 20) and Friday (July 21) morning while supplies last.

SDCC 2015: Warren Ellis & Gale Anne Hurd Take on El Pantera for Universal + Kill Shakespeare!

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UCP_Refresh_CMYK_FMAs San Diego Comic-Con 2015 kicks off, Universal Cable Productions (UCP) has unveiled several new deals that will continue to fortify the studio’s growing genre library and cater to the high demand for television content inspired by science fiction, graphic novel and comic book stories. As part of its overall deal with Valhalla Entertainment, UCP today announced renowned graphic novel writer Warren Ellis, will adapt the popular 1970s Mexican comic book and Televisa format El Pantera as his first original TV series with Gale Anne Hurd set to executive produce and Televisa USA to co-produce.

Based on the popular 1970s Mexican comic book and hit Spanish language TV series adapted by Televisa, El Pantera is a vigilante crime drama set in a fictional metropolis on the U.S. Mexico Border. When a young officer is appointed Head of Police, he only has one request: He asks that his friend, who was wrongfully imprisoned, be set free. Under the guise of his rumored death, the two create ‘El Pantera’ to rid the city of the Mexican mob. Warren Ellis is set to adapt the comic with Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment attached to produce and Televisa USA to co-produce with UCP.

UCP is also developing the award-winning cult British film, The Machine into a scripted series for Syfy with the film’s Caradog James set to write the script and John Giwa-Amu to produce. The story follows a brilliant computer programmer, desperate to save his terminally ill daughter, who creates the first-ever piece of self-aware artificial intelligence.  But things go terribly wrong when the technology, designed to help injured soldiers, is hijacked by the government and used to create the ultimate robotic weapon. The Machine will follow multiple storylines as it takes a broad view of cutting edge scientific breakthroughs in genetic engineering, trans-humanism, and artificial intelligence.

Kill ShakespeareAdditionally, the studio has recently optioned the critically acclaimed comic series Kill Shakespeare, created by Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery, and released by IDW Publishing. This dark take on Shakespeare – which has also spawned a stage production and board game – pits his greatest heroes (Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Falstaff) against his most menacing villains (Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Iago) in an epic adventure to find and kill – or save – a reclusive wizard named William Shakespeare. Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery are set to write.

UCP also announced this week a first-look production deal with legendary comic book publisher, Dark Horse Entertainment focused on developing and producing scripted programming from their extensive comic book library as well as new material.

Other notable genre projects in UCP’s development pipeline include: for Syfy: Channel Zero, a horror anthology series from Nick Antosca set to write the script, and Max Landis set to produce. The first season will be based on Candle Cove by Kris Straub, a story that originates from the user-generated internet horror phenomenon known as creepypasta;  Brave New World, based on the classic novel by Aldous Huxley published in 1932 with Les Bohem set to write, and Amblin attached to produce; Hyperion, based on the Hugo Award-winning science fiction novels that form The Hyperion Cantos by writer Dan Simmons with Bradley Cooper, Graham Kin, and Todd Phillips attached to executive produce and Itamar Moses to write the script and serve as co-executive producer.

UCP is also developing Dreadstar, based on the classic 1980s character from the Marvel-owned Epic Comics imprint by iconic Marvel comic book writer Jim Starlin with Evan Daugherty attached to adapt, BenderSpink attached to produce, and Starlin and Ford Gilmore set to executive produce.

Universal Cable Productions and Dark Horse Sign First-Look Deal

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Dark_Horse_Comics_logoUniversal Cable Productions (UCP) continues to expand its powerhouse producing talent and build upon the studio’s genre footprint by signing a first-look deal with legendary comic book publisher, Dark Horse Entertainment. The deal will focus on developing and producing scripted programming from their extensive comics library as well as new material. Discussions for the deal began at San Diego Comic Con in 2014 when Dark Horse introduced UCP executives to some of their top writers and artists. Over the last year, those conversations continued and have yielded multiple television projects with direct involvement from the comics creators.

UCP will collaborate with Dark Horse to bring their unique and fresh approach to the creative process. Together they will maximize Dark Horse’s network of talented comic creators and robust library of content to develop character driven concepts for television intended to resonate with their current fan base. Dark Horse President and founder Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg, SVP of Production, have enjoyed great success for the last two decades; no strangers to television, they also currently executive produce Syfy’s Dark Matter.

Projects currently in development:

Harrow County – Emmy has always known that the deep, dark woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts, goblins, and the restless dead. On the eve of her 18th birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures and to the land itself in a way she never imagined, for she is the reincarnation of a powerful witch who was put to death on the very day Emmy was born. For this reason, the townsfolk mean to kill her too. In order to survive, Emmy must embrace the unusual powers at her command.  This project is based on the brand new book written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Tyler Crook.

The Umbrella Academy – Nine years after parting ways, the estranged members of the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers, must figure out how to work together to save the world. Created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba; Bluegrass films is also attached to executive produce.

Back Up – In the near future, a new technology allows people to be backed up the same way we now back up our computers—but instead of protecting against drive failure, these backups protect against death. This project is based on a feature script by Tom Vaughn.  Kenny Golde is set to write and executive produce, Brad Anderson is in negotiations to direct.  Jim Wedaa is also attached to executive produce.

Concrete – After his subconscious is transplanted into a hulking stone body, Ronald Lithgow must come to terms with his new form and try to live a normal life.  This Eisner award-winning title is the opus of comics legend Paul Chadwick.

Wes Craven & Steve Niles Team Up For The Disciples Adaptation

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The Disciples #1 CoverBlack Mask Studios has announced that horror maestros Wes Craven and Steve Niles are joining forces to adapt Black Mask’s upcoming comic book The Disciples into a TV show for Universal Cable Productions with Niles’ Black Mask co-founders Matt Pizzolo and Brett Gurewitz executive producing alongside Industry Entertainment’s Sara Bottfeld. The Disciples marks Black Mask’s latest foray into TV, joining the adaptation of Five Ghosts that Black Mask has in development at Syfy with Evan Daugherty writing the pilot.

The Disciples is a sci-fi/horror story about a team of interstellar private eyes tracking down a girl who’s run off to join a cult on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede… it’s ‘True Detective in space’ brought to you courtesy of Steve Niles and Christopher Mitten.

Niles co-founded Black Mask Studios with Pizzolo and Gurewitz in 2013 as a home for edgy and subversive comics.

The Disciples #1 comes to shelves May 27th.

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