Syfy has ordered a pilot for Resident Alien, a science fiction drama based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name written by Peter Hogan with art by Steve Parkhouse. The move comes after the network cancelled a similar sci-fi show, The Expanse, but the move to adapt the comic is part of a deal between Dark Horse and Universal Cable Productions.
In the comic, the story revolves around an alien named Harry who, after crash landing on Earth, adopts the identity of an elderly doctor who dies in an unrelated car crash. Using his telepathic abilities, Harry is able to trick most humans into thinking he’s an ordinary citizen.
After a fellow practitioner is murdered and Harry is asked to stand in for him, he finds he’s become fascinated by the humans, which creates a dilemma between his original mission and his gut feeling that humankind might be worth saving.
Family Guy producer and writer Chris Sheridan will adapt the comic for the small screen, as well as acting as executive producer for the pilot alongside Dark Horse Entertainment president Mike Richardson (The Mask), senior vice president of production Keith Goldberg (The Legend Of Tarzan) and Amblin’s Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank (The Americans).
The pilot will be set up as a part of Syfy’s 2018 development cycle, meaning that the pilot is likely to land sometime in 2019. Naturally, if the pilot is deemed successful, Syfy will order a full series. The premise certainly seems a fit for the network, and Resident Alien is the latest comic book adaptation to head to the small screen. It won’t be the last.
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