Terry Moore’s Horror Comic ‘Rachel Rising’ Heading to Television (Exclusive)

Rachel Rising, the acclaimed horror comic book series from artist Terry Moore, is heading to television.

Alcon Television Group, the TV arm of Alcon Entertainment, has made Rising the first property it has picked up in its 10 months of existence.

Moore will serve as an executive producer with Lloyd Levin, a producer well-versed in the comics sphere with credits such as the Hellboy movies and Watchmen. Alcon’s Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson and Sharon Hall will also exec produce.

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Ben Roberts, an exec at Alcon, is on board to produce. Rising, with its smart mix of drama and horror, has some commonalities with The Walking Dead, including its audience. And it’s no coincidence that Roberts chased it; he was a production consultant on AMC’s zombie drama.

A horror story for people who don’t like horror stories, Rising centers on a woman named Rachel who wakes up dead in a shallow grave. She begins to unravel the mystery of her death while crossing paths with not only friends but also a mysterious blond woman who is tracking her and a horrific little girl named Zoe, out on a killing spree. Also figuring into the mix is the history of the local town, magic and witchcraft.

The comic book series was nominated for best new series for the 2012 Harvey Awards. Moore has long been noted for his ability to capture the female voice with his award-winning comics such as Strangers in Paradise and Echo.

Alcon is out to showrunners now, and sources say the project is already attracting interest from various networks at this early stage.

Alcon’s TV division aims to be a boutique production house and to create content for a wide portfolio of TV models. It plans to seek distribution on a project-by-project basis.

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The horror space continues to be a hot genre at both cable and broadcast networks. AMC’s adaptation of Robert Kirkman‘s The Walking Dead ended its third season as TV’s No. 1 series in the all-important adults 18-49 demographic. Fox’s serial killer drama The Following, from Kevin Williamson, has already been picked up for a second season. NBC’s Hannibal prequel from Pushing Daisies‘ Bryan Fuller has started strong for the struggling network, attracting glowing reviews including from The Hollywood Reporter‘s TV critic Tim Goodman, who called it a sophisticated take that would be at home on a cable network. A&E’s Bates Motel, from Lost‘s Carlton Cuse, was also picked up for a second season, with the series continuing to explore Norman Bates’ formative years.

Moore is repped by RWSG Agency.

Lesley Goldberg contributed to this report.

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