Gale Anne Hurd's Valhalla Picks Up 'Nameless' Spec (Exclusive)

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In her first move since the success of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Gale Anne Hurd and her Valhalla Motion Pictures has picked up The Nameless, a spec by scribe Chris Bullett.

Nameless is set in a top-secret facility operated by the U.S. Marshal's Federal Witness Protection Program housing witnesses awaiting new identities. When the area's location is compromised, an idealistic marshal and the town's inhabitants take a stand against a team of assassins determined to execute the key witness in an upcoming trial.

“I love that it’s character driven,” says Hurd describing the script. “That is very important to me. And secondly, I’m attracted to material about ordinary  people who are facing extraordinary circumstances who find the strength within them to fight against impossible odds.”

Valhalla exec Kris Henigman, who was familiar with Bullet’s previous work, found the script and brought it into Valhalla.

Bullett wrote the script as modern-day Western, aiming to use the timelessness of the genre and the framework of an action-thriller to keep the  characters grounded.

Valhalla will develop and produce the picture and will likely seek independent financing.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out but at this point, the mid-range films are often not financed or made by studios,” Hurd says. “If you look at film festivals such as the recent Berlin Film Festival, a lot of independent films are being picked up for distribution. Hopefully there’s a renaissance for the distribution for independent fare.”

Bullett, repped by Gersh and ROAR, wrote the indie psychological thriller, Isolation, which was directed by Stephen Kay and premiered at last year’s Sitges Film Festival.

Hurd, a veteran in the sci-fi and action sphere with credits ranging from The Terminator and Aliens to The Incredible Hulk and The Punisher, is in the midst of prepping Season 2 of Walking Dead and in post-production on TV movie Last Man Standing.