Posted in: Movies, TV | Tagged: cinemax, outcast, Paul Azaceta, robert kirkman, skybound, tv

Robert Kirkman's Outcast To Be A New TV Show From Cinemax, Kirkman To Write The Pilot

It's not easy selling your first pilot, but things are a bit different when you created the comic book that became one of the biggest hits on television.

Robert Kirkman, whose name you might know in conjunction with a little show called The Walking Dead, has written and naturally immediately sold an exorcism drama called Outcast to Cinemax, after being pursued by several different networks.

Outcast follows Kyle Barnes, another anti-hero in the vein of Walking Dead's Rick Grimes, who has been plagued by demonic possessions since he was a child. Now, as he searches for answers, "what he uncovers could mean the end of life on Earth as we know it."

Also like The Walking Dead, Outcast is also based on a comic book series, though this one isn't out yet. Paul Azaceta did the art.

Below is the official press release:

FOX International Channels (FIC) today announced that Cinemax has acquired the U.S. rights for The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman's exorcism drama, Outcast.

Outcast was shopped as a spec after it was developed internally at FIC and is Kirkman's first time penning a pilot. It was pursued by a number of leading cable networks before landing at Cinemax. The TV adaptation is based on Kirkman/Skybound's recently announced comic book by the same name. Kirkman will serve as Executive Producer alongside David Alpert of Circle of Confusion.

Outcast follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by possession since he was a child.  Now an adult, he embarks on a journey to find answers but what he uncovers could mean the end of life on Earth as we know it.

"Despite the success of The Walking Dead, Outcast is only my second foray into the horror genre.  I think Kyle Barnes is every bit as compelling as Rick Grimes and demonic possession is way scarier than zombies–so this is going to be fun," said Robert Kirkman. "Starting a new project is like setting off on an long journey and I couldn't ask for better travel companions than David Alpert and Sharon Tal Yguado and I'm thrilled to be a part of what Cinemax has planned for the next few years."

"At FIC, we're committed to creating compelling, innovative television with A-List writers like Robert Kirkman, and with Cinemax we have a partner that is as passionate as we are about this very unique project," said Sharon Tal Yguado, Executive Vice President of Original Development and Scripted Programming at FIC. "Outcast is unlike anything on television and has the potential to become another global phenomenon."

FIC's long-standing partnership with Kirkman began on the record-breaking, global hit series, The Walking Dead, on which FIC is the international partner and global broadcaster in 125 countries. Outcast is the latest example of FIC's mission to develop breakthrough character-driven dramas in the U.S. that can translate into global tentpole franchises. FIC pioneered its global day-and-date release strategy with the hit series The Walking Dead, and replicated it with key properties, including Da Vinci's Demons and The Bridge. The group most recently announced a development deal for the espionage thriller, False Flag, in partnership with Keshet International and Peter Landesman, the writer and director of Parkland.

Cinemax'sfirst original primetime series, Strike Back, was recently renewed for a fourth and final season. Banshee will launch its second season in January 2014, and The Knick, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Clive Owen, is currently in production for a 2014 debut.

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