Skybound, the publishing and production company fronted by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, is ready to explore a haunted White House.
The company is planning to adapt its upcoming novel The Residence for television. Andrew Pyper's forthcoming novel (due in September) extrapolates the true accounts of President Franklin Pierce and first lady Jane Pierce, who lost their child in a tragic accident shortly before inauguration, then reported paranormal visions, auditory hallucinations and other cryptic phenomena while living in the White House.
Skybound, whose Skybound Books banner will publish the novel, will team with RadicalMedia to develop the novel for television. (Skybound Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster.)
The TV series will follow a format similar to Radical Media's recent NatGeo series Mars and upcoming History show Grant and will combine scripted elements — rooted in historical fact — with unscripted expert interviews. Season one will focus on the Pierces' story — like Pyper's novel does. Subsequent seasons will explore other paranormal experiences reported during other presidencies, including those of Lincoln, Kennedy and Truman.
Pyper will exec produce the series, which has not yet been taken out to the marketplace. Pyper is the author of nine novels, including The Demonologist and The Homecoming.
Skybound's TV slate includes all things The Walking Dead at AMC and Amazon's Super Dinosaur and Invincible. The latter two series, based on comics created by Kirkman, stem from a first-look deal the Walking Dead creator has at the retail giant/streamer.
