We were huge fans of Joe Hill’s terrifying novel NOS4A2 (titled NOS4R2 here in the UK), so we were very excited to hear that AMC had commissioned a pilot script back in 2015. It’s been very quiet on that front since then, but there’s some promising news that includes new projects from some awesome writers.
Deadline reports that AMC has opened up writers’ rooms for three upcoming shows as part of a “script to series” project that would skip the whole pilot stage. Rather than casting and making a pilot and making a decision about whether or not go forward based on that, this process means that the writers can flesh out where the first season will go ahead of time, and allows AMC to commission a full series if they like what they see.
These three shows are Pandora (a thriller from Humans writers Sam Vincent & Jonathan Brackley), Silent History (from Claire Carré and Charles Spano, the director/writer and co-writer of the brilliant Embers) and NOS4A2, which is being written by Hell On Wheels’ Jami O’Brien. Joe Hill is on board as executive producer.
AMC president Charlie Collier said “We look forward to diving deep into these three distinctive projects and opening writers’ rooms that allow our talented creative partners to take their visions to the next level. It’s gratifying to have Jami, Sam and Jonathan, who have been so important to AMC’s success through their previous work, bring new projects to the network. We also welcome and look forward to working with Claire and Charles as they explore their unique take on an exciting world.”
Some quick synopses for you. First up, NOS4A2: “Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. Charles Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides, transporting them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls ‘Christmasland.’ Vic, with her gift, is the only one able to track the superhuman Manx. But finding him is the easy part. Defeating Manx and rescuing his victims will take everything Vic’s got and nearly kill her in the process.”
Meanwhile, Pandora is described as a “global mystery-thriller that follows three converging storylines as ordinary individuals try to piece together dark secrets leaking out into the world after advanced malware dismantles encryption across the Internet.”
Finally, Silent History: “An adaptation of the award-winning app and novel created by Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby and Kevin Moffett, The Silent History tells the story of a generation of unusual children — born without the ability to create or comprehend language, but perhaps with other surprising skills of their own. As the condition spreads to epidemic levels, theories form and society is faced with how to deal with this new evolution of human. Silent History plays on the fears of technology and the threat of ‘the other,’ shaking up our assumptions about who we are and how we should live.”
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