Undone by Blood, the metafictional revenge western from AfterShock Comics, is getting a TV deal with Norman Reedus production company, bigbadbald productions.
Undone by Blood debuted early this year, and publisher AfterShock recently announced that it would essentially be getting a second season. The book is written by the team of Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson, illustrated by Sami Kivela, colored by Jason Wordie, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. It expertly-wields an interesting blend of thematic influences, from Cormac McCarthy to Charlie Kaufman.
According to today’s press release announcing the deal, “There is an eye for Norman Reedus to star.” Reedus, it should be noted, also penned the foreward for the forthcoming collected Undone by Blood trade paperback.
The full press release about this new deal can be found below:
Undone by Blood or the Shadow of a Wanted Man
Writer: Lonnie Nadler & Zac Thompson
Artist: Sami Kivela
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover: Sami Kivela w/ Jason WordieIn the early 1970s, Ethel Grady Lane returns to her hometown of Sweetheart, Arizona with one thing on her mind: killing the man who murdered her family. But first, she’ll have to find him.
As Ethel navigates the eccentric town and its inhabitants, she learns that the quaint veneer hides a brewing darkness. She has no choice but to descend into a ring of depravity and violence, with her only ally an Old West novel that follows famed gunslinger Solomon Eaton. As both stories unfold simultaneously, a love of fiction informs choices in reality, for better or worse.
From the minds of Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson (The Dregs, X-Men, HER INFERNAL DESCENT) and artist Sami Kivela (Abbot, Tommy Gun Wizards) comes a neo-western that depicts the hard truth of seeking vengeance in the real world. The collected edition of the first arc is available in comic shops on 11.4.20 and bookstores on 11.17.20
- bigbaldhead productions, founded by Norman Reedus and Brillstein Entertainment’s JoAnne Colonna, and with former AMC exec Amanda Verdon to head the company, has closed a deal to adapt AfterShock Comics’ book series UNDONE BY BLOOD, from writers Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler (The Dregs, X-Men, HER INFERNAL DESCENT) and artist Sami Kivela (Abbot, Tommy Gun Wizards).
- bigbaldhead’s Norman Reedus, JoAnne Colonna, and Amanda Verdon will Executive produce along with AfterShock Comics’ Lee Kramer and Jon Kramer. Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson who will Co-Executive produce.
- There is an eye for Norman Reedus to star.
- Thompson and Nadler are represented by Jake Wagner from Alibi.
- Rive Gauche Television negotiated the deal on behalf of AfterShock Comics.
- AfterShock Comics recently announced THE KAIJU SCORE at Sony Pictures, with the book being released in November.
- Norman Reedus wrote the Foreward for the Undone By Blood TPB coming out next month.
LONNIE NADLER: “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. 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. That rare authenticity really resonated with us, and served as a reminder of the spark that ignited this concept almost three years ago with AfterShock. So, we’re eager and thrilled to be working together and can’t wait to bring this strange meta Western to life in a whole new way.”
ZAC THOMPSON: “Working with Norman and the team at bigbaldhead to bring Undone by Blood to television is legitimately a dream come true. 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.
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. 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.
It’s thrilling to share the world of Undone by Blood with a whole new audience and we’re so damn ready for people to meet Ethel Grady Lane.”
SAMI KIVELA: “I’ve very much enjoyed working with Lonnie and Zac on this series, and I can’t wait to see Undone by Blood presented in another medium. Super exciting!”
LEE KRAMER: “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. 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.”
