The Hollywood Reporter has word that Fox’s Russian partner, Monumental, will produce its first English-language television series based on Sergei Lukyanenko’s post-apocalyptic zombie novel Quazi. The project is reported to be in late-stage development and is in the casting stages at the moment.
“Sergei Lukyanenko and his book were pivotal not only for me and Monumental but also for the Russian film industry,” read a statement by Monumental partner Michael Schlicht.
The novel Quazi takes place in a post-apocalyptic Earth that’s been overrun by the dead who’ve risen from their graves. A small group of evolved, intelligent zombies, known as the Quazi, form an uneasy alliance with the remaining humans surviving within fortress city-states. After a violent murder threatens the balance of power, one human detective must form an uneasy partnership with a Quazi agent to investigate.
Lukyanenko is best known for writing the Night Watch/Day Watch novels, which Russian director Timur Bekmambetov has previously adapted into a hit film.
One of Russia’s most prominent film companies, Monumental’s many credits including the war films Stalingrad, Battalion and the drama Vysotsky. Thank You For Being Alive.
Schlicht and Monumental partner Paul Heth have both developed and produced films in Russia under Monumental’s joint venture with Sony from 2000-2011. They also had a development and co-production deal with Sony Pictures from 2011-2015, which is similar to their current agreement with Twentieth Century Fox.
