Vampire Comic 'In the Dust' Targeted for Film Adaptation (Exclusive)

Stephen L'Heureux's Solipsist Films has preemptively picked up the rights to the upcoming Top Cow graphic novel In the Dust, created by George Mahaffey and Christian Duce. Mahaffey will write the adaptation.

L’Heureux will produce with Top Cow’s Matt Hawkins and Marc Silvestri executive producing.

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The story is set against the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, when “black blizzards” obscured the Midwest and prairies. The plot sees a G-Man investigating the disappearances of entire families from small towns during these storms, uncovering the existence of an army of vampires that are using them as cover to ravage the countryside. The agent is forced to team up with remnants of Al Capone’s gang to save Chicago when the vampires turn their attention to the Windy City.

The 165-page graphic novel is due out next year.

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Mahaffey, repped by Gersh and Generate, is an attorney-turned-scribe who last year sold the spec Heat Seekers to Paramount with Platinum Dunes and Chris Morgan producing. He also sold a spec titled Bots to Blumhouse and worked on Drone, a sci-fi project being developed by Solipsist and Benderspink.

L'Heureux recently set up vampire thriller Undying Love, based on a comic created by Tomm Coker and Daniel Freedman, at Warner Bros., and is producing A Dame to Kill For, the Sin City sequel being co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller. The helmers are doing a pass on the recently submitted William Monahan draft and are eying an end of the year start.

Top Cow is the company behind Wanted, which was adapted into the 2008 Angelina Jolie action vehicle. Earlier this year its comic Crosshair was set up at Summit with Mandeville producing. 

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