Norman Reedus’ bigbadbald productions is teaming with AfterShock Comics for a TV adaptation of Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson’s neo-western comic book series Undone by Blood or the Shadow of a Wanted Man, with Reedus executive producing and potentially starring.
“Undone by Blood was born from a place of pure passion, out of a love for Westerns, for myself and the entire creative team,” said Lonnie Nadler. “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.”
“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. 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.”
The official synopsis for Undone by Blood reads:
In 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.
Undone by Blood is the second AfterShock title to have been optioned recently after the upcoming monster comic series The Kaiju Score, which has been snapped up by Sony Pictures for a potential movie adaptation.
Originally published September 19, 2020. Updated September 18, 2020.
