It was just announced that Syfy, the NBCUniversal-owned network, has ordered the pilots for three dramas via Universal Cable Productions. The pilots are The Machine, based on the film of the same name; the horror drama The Haunted; and Happy, an adaptation of the Grant Morrison graphic novel, as Deadline reported.
The film The Machine was released in 2013 and shows us a world that is being altered by artificial intelligence. The movie portrays the struggle between humans and technology through the stories of six different, but linked characters – who will either destroy or be victorious for humanity. John Giwa-Amu, the feature’s producer, will serve as executive producer for the television pilot.
The Haunted, a horror drama written by James Frey, follows four siblings as they reunite after their parents’ deaths. They set out to mend their relationships and are met with (literal) ghosts from their pasts who stand in the siblings’ way of survival. Frey and Todd Cohen (Full Fathom Five) will executive produce alongside Noga Landau of Syfy’s The Magicians.
Based on Morrison and Brian Taylor’s graphic novel, Happy is centered around Nick Sax – a drunk, unscrupulous ex-cop turned hitman – who lives in a world characterized by casual murder, meaningless sex and betrayal. One of his hits goes wrong and his drunken self is met by a an imaginary blue winged horse which changes his life. Toby Jaffe, Pavun Shetty, and Neal Moritz of Original Film will executive produce and Taylor will direct the pilot.
These three pilots, which all hail from UCP, join the likes of Syfy’s Krypton, the Superman prequel, and further the network’s goal of putting more focus on the creation of science-fiction content.