Norman Reedus’ bigbaldhead productions is developing the western property.
Ahead of its second season, due 2021, AfterShock Comics’ metatextual western series Undone by Blood will make the jump to television, with bigbaldhead productions, the company founded by Norman Reedus signing a deal to develop the property.
“Undone by Blood was born from a place of pure passion, out of a love for Westerns, for myself and the entire creative team. At the outset, our goal was to tell a story that added to the genre by deconstructing its themes, and to make the best comic book we could,” series co-creator Lonnie Nadler told The Hollywood Reporter. “While having your book adapted is the ultimate dream for many creators, it was not for us. We wouldn’t be doing this unless we felt it was one-hundred-percent the right fit. And from our first discussion with Norman and his team at bigbaldhead, it was clear that their passion for the project matched our own with genuine enthusiasm. They understood the nuances, the world, and the characters completely.”
Nadler’s co-writer Zac Thompson added, “From day one of our conversations it was clear we were all drawn to the material for the same reasons. The western genre casts a long shadow over the American film industry and it’s so exciting to create a show that will explore the impact of that legacy while also paying tribute to it. The dual narrative structure of the story makes it perfect for the transition to television. Fans of classic Westerns will get their Sergio Leone tales of justice on the frontier. And fans of quirky Coen Brothers neo-westerns will get theirs too. It’s an embarrassment of genre riches.”
Reedus, JoAnne Colonna and Amanda Verdon will executive produce the series for bigbaldhead, with Lee Kramer and Jon Kramer exec producing for AfterShock Comics, alongside Thompson and Nadler. Reedus is being eyed to star as the series’ Solomon Eaton, the fictional cowboy whose stories mirror the primary action in each tale.
“I’m not going to lie. The possibility of having Norman Reedus play the co-lead of your television show is mind-blowingly amazing, as he’s the perfect fit for a legendary pulp gunslinger like Solomon Eaton,” Thompson said. “Right from the jump, Norman understood Sol like he was an extension of himself. He saw all the things we saw in the character and to be honest, Norman’s basically already a badass cowboy. We couldn’t be more excited to see his take on Sol.”
“Undone by Blood is a special book for us at AfterShock and we couldn’t be happier that we found the perfect creative partners in bigbaldhead productions,” Lee Kramer said. “Norman, JoAnne and Amanda’s creative sensibilities will only help to further enrich this already impactful tale for a television audience, and we cannot wait to get this exciting project underway.”
Rive Gauche Television negotiated the deal on behalf of AfterShock Comics, with Thompson and Nadler represented by Jake Wagner from Alibi.
Reedus will also provide the foreword to the collection of the first Undone by Blood comic book series, Undone by Blood or the Shadow of a Wanted Man, available in comic stores Nov. 4, and in bookstores Nov. 17, in which he writes that the series “excited me in a way that few comics have since The Walking Dead.”
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/aftershock-comics-undone-by-blood-heads-for-television