Comic-Con 2014: Cinemax Preps New Series From Walking Dead Creator

Before any issues of Robert Kirkman’s (creator of “The Walking Dead”) Outcast were printed, Cinemax had already laid claim to turning into a series. That was back in November. Now, during Comic-Con, it’s been confirmed that the pilot is indeed moving forward.

BIG NEWS @comic_con Demons are the new Zombies! #OUTCAST pilot into pre-production @Cinemax. Thx to partners @FoxIntChannels @Skybound #sdcc

— Robert Kirkman (@RobertKirkman) July 25, 2014

“Outcast” is the story of Kyle Barnes, who, Kirkman told Entertainment Weekly, “is an average guy who has been dealing with the phenomenon of demonic possession his entire life. He’s had a lot of people over the years, very close to him, suffering from this affliction. He’s at a point in his life where he doesn’t want to take it anymore and decides he’s going to set out to find answers.”

Kirkman added that, “This doesn’t deal with Catholicism in any way, which I think is somewhat unique. It takes in place in West Virginia, so it’s much more of a small-town Baptist kind of take on religion when we do deal with it. To a certain extent, this is kind of a non-religious exploration of what exorcism is.”

Kirkman’s tweet is correct: demons are the new zombie. It’s been that way at the cinema-house for a while now. But how long can a series keep a possession storyline going remains to be seen as that (like zombies and “The Walking Dead”) is something new for television. ComingSoon notes that the mystery could lead as far as potential extinction on Earth. So that’s a pretty long end game.

Kirkman explained further, “I think that the difference is that most exorcism stories don’t treat it like a solvable phenomenon or something that can actually be overcome or that it’s a conflict that can be won. What makes ‘Outcast’ an epic story and a very long form story like ‘The Walking Dead’ is that it’s a story that will strive to solve this problem, which is something no one has ever really done.”

No casting news has been announced, but we’re sure that will be next. And while AMC certainly allows for heavy TV-MA bloodletting, how much further can “Outcast” go on Cinemax? As CraveOnline reported last year, AMC is also adapting Kirkman’s “Thief of Thieves” for TV.

Brian Formo is a featured contributor on the CraveOnline Film Channel. You can follow him on Twitter at @BrianEmilFormo.