Animal Planet developing zombie animal graphic novel “The Other Dead” into scripted series

If zombie people on your TV screen aren’t enough to freak you out, thanks to shows like The Walking Dead and Z Nation, before long you will be able to see zombie animals on the attack, courtesy of Animal Planet. The network announced today that it has acquired exclusive rights for the zombie animal graphic novel The Other Dead, and will be developing it into a scripted series.

the-other-deadFrom creators Joshua Ortega (Gears of War, Star Wars, Spider-Man) and Digger Mesch (Agent 88, X-Men, Payday), The Other Dead is a critically acclaimed, best-selling graphic novel from IDW Publishing. The story is set in Louisiana during the “next Hurricane Katrina” and features an eclectic cast of characters thrown together into a nightmarish world of undead animals and unrelenting storms.

“The entire creative team could not be more excited about this partnership, and the timing for The Other Dead series could not be more perfect,” said Ortega, in a release. “Zombie animal meets Animal Planet? Sounds like we have some serious undead fun ahead of us.”

“Our stylistic and creative ambitions as a network happily found their echo in the pages of The Other Dead, said Kurt Tondorf, vice president of development at Animal Planet. “We’re rabid about bringing Josh and Digger’s bold, wry and unrelenting vision to life.”

“This is an intriguing choice for Animal Planet as the network further branches out into different, dynamic genres,” Rick Holzman, executive vice president and general manager of Animal Planet, added.

According to Animal Planet, it is targeting the first quarter of 2016 for the premiere of The Other Dead.