Shusett, Alter colonize '2176'
'2176' takes flight
June 2, 2004
Ron Shusett, co-creator of "Alien," and Daniel Alter, who has just launched the management/production company Alter Ego Entertainment, are teaming up to produce "2176," a sci-fi space opera offering a retelling of the Revolutionary War, written by Thunder Levin and George Saunders. The story revolves around 13 planetary colonies in the future that rebel against an oppressive "mother" Earth.
"Twenty-six years ago when Dan O'Bannon and I wrote the first 'Alien,' I had brought it to Fox because Alan Ladd Jr. and the execs were looking for their dark version of 'Star Wars,' " Shusett said. "Now I get to do something as sprawling as (George) Lucas' opus."
The project is in keeping with Alter Ego Entertainment's mandate to focus on comic book properties and new screenwriters for both television and film projects. Launched by Alter, formerly an exec at Energy Entertainment, the company has several projects on the front burner.
Alter has optioned rights to the Image Comics series "Small Gods," which it aims to develop as a television series about people with psychic abilities. The company is also developing "Spooks," an original pitch by Alter and Ryan Schifrin ("Wimpy") that revolves around a government agency that protects mankind from supernatural threats including vampires, werewolves, witchcraft, ghosts and zombies.
"It's an exciting time to be pitching my own tent," said Alter, who previously headed up the comic book department at Energy. "We are embarking on both film and television projects and bringing properties from other mediums to the big and small screen."
Said Shusett: "I'm excited to be working with a young person having so much success in so little time. Dealing with Dan is especially desirable because being in his early 20s puts him on the cutting edge. The industry has changed a lot over the last couple of years. Everyone wants projects with built-in fan bases, multimedia appeal. He's part of that generation they're aiming for, which is why he gets it so well."
In addition, Alter Ego is managing Devil's Due Publishing, founded and owned by Josh Blaylock, for film/TV rights to its creator-owned projects. DDP, which relaunched the 1980s icon G.I. Joe through Image Comics in 2001, went solo from Image Comics in January and is focusing on original properties to sell as film/TV projects.
Since leaving Energy, Alter has set up two projects based on comic books with Charles Gordon and Adrian Askarieh. The first, "Swords of Dracula," is based on the Image Comics series. The project is a contemporary revamp of the Dracula story in which competing military forces find themselves racing to excavate the vampire. The second project, "Hack/Slash," is based on DDP's comic book series and revolves around a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"-esque female protagonist. Alter will serve in a producer capacity on both projects.
"Twenty-six years ago when Dan O'Bannon and I wrote the first 'Alien,' I had brought it to Fox because Alan Ladd Jr. and the execs were looking for their dark version of 'Star Wars,' " Shusett said. "Now I get to do something as sprawling as (George) Lucas' opus."
The project is in keeping with Alter Ego Entertainment's mandate to focus on comic book properties and new screenwriters for both television and film projects. Launched by Alter, formerly an exec at Energy Entertainment, the company has several projects on the front burner.
Alter has optioned rights to the Image Comics series "Small Gods," which it aims to develop as a television series about people with psychic abilities. The company is also developing "Spooks," an original pitch by Alter and Ryan Schifrin ("Wimpy") that revolves around a government agency that protects mankind from supernatural threats including vampires, werewolves, witchcraft, ghosts and zombies.
"It's an exciting time to be pitching my own tent," said Alter, who previously headed up the comic book department at Energy. "We are embarking on both film and television projects and bringing properties from other mediums to the big and small screen."
Said Shusett: "I'm excited to be working with a young person having so much success in so little time. Dealing with Dan is especially desirable because being in his early 20s puts him on the cutting edge. The industry has changed a lot over the last couple of years. Everyone wants projects with built-in fan bases, multimedia appeal. He's part of that generation they're aiming for, which is why he gets it so well."
In addition, Alter Ego is managing Devil's Due Publishing, founded and owned by Josh Blaylock, for film/TV rights to its creator-owned projects. DDP, which relaunched the 1980s icon G.I. Joe through Image Comics in 2001, went solo from Image Comics in January and is focusing on original properties to sell as film/TV projects.
Since leaving Energy, Alter has set up two projects based on comic books with Charles Gordon and Adrian Askarieh. The first, "Swords of Dracula," is based on the Image Comics series. The project is a contemporary revamp of the Dracula story in which competing military forces find themselves racing to excavate the vampire. The second project, "Hack/Slash," is based on DDP's comic book series and revolves around a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"-esque female protagonist. Alter will serve in a producer capacity on both projects.
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