The Partnership Brings Together Two Powerhouses in Horror Storytelling for
New Terrifying Tales Across Comics, Film & TV from a Select Group
of Writers and Artists Pushing the Boundaries of Horror
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 10, 2024 – Fearsome. Frightening. Formidable. Artists Writers & Artisans, Inc. (AWA) and Vertigo Entertainment announced today they have joined forces to create a range of brand new spine-chilling horror stories. The innovative partnership between the Eisner Award-winning publisher and Roy Lee’s acclaimed production company will see the collaborative duo originate terrifying stories from a curated group of writers and artists and provide a new way to develop scary stories that excite and thrill fans across illustrated prose, comics, film, and TV. As one of the masters of horror, Lee is best known for producing some of the most scream-worthy horror films and franchises including Barbarian, It, The Grudge, The Ring,Late Night with the Devil, and many more.
Under this new partnership, AWA and Vertigo Entertainment are building the next generation of top horror franchises. AWA will publish the graphic works for each story, while Vertigo Entertainment and AWA Studios, the Film & TV division of AWA, will co-produce the Film and TV adaptations to bring these tales to life on screen. AWA Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Axel Alonso, and Studios President Zach Studin will partake in a special panel at Tribeca X later today called “The Future of Fear,” discussing this groundbreaking new partnership, offering a peek behind the bloody curtains of the horror storytelling process.
AWA has a rich pedigree in the horror genre. Since publishing its first book in 2020, AWA has quickly earned a reputation for putting out some of the most well-received horror comics in the industry and has sold nearly 700,000 copies of fan-favorite horror titles like HOTELL (John Lees & Dalibor Talajic), OLD HAUNTS (Rob Williams & Ollie Masters), THE RIBBON QUEEN (Garth Ennis & Jacen Burros), YEAR ZERO (Benjamin Percy & Daniel Kraus), and the just-released DEATH RATIO’D (Mark Russel & Laci). Alonso, known for his tenure as longtime Editor-in-Chief at Marvel, preceded that role with a renowned stretch at DC’s Vertigo Comics where he published numerous horror classics including PREACHER.
“I’m constantly looking for new stories that bring dread and surprise to push the genre forward in daring, unexpected ways,” said Lee. “I’ve been inspired by the titles AWA has published over the last few years. This dynamic partnership will allow us to work with distinct voices to develop all-new terrifying ideas and bring something to the horror world we haven’t seen before.”
Alonso added, “This groundbreaking partnership provides a mechanism to break bold new stories across numerous media platforms. We’re thrilled and honored to be working alongside a horror genius like Roy Lee, who has had a hand in some of the most iconic horror franchises in the world. This new partnership will allow us to combine Vertigo Entertainment’s innovative spark with a group of creators who truly push the boundaries of the horror genre.”
Since its launch, AWA Studios has set up numerous projects with Studios and Streamers, announcing a strategic relationship on the TV side with Fremantle. Two previously announced projects include the horror titles HOTELL, created by John Lees and Dalibor Talajic, and OLD HAUNTS by Rob Williams, Ollie Masters, and Laurence Campbell. The HOTELL feature film adaptation will be directed by Elle Callahan from a script by Callahan and Anthony Ruff. James Ashcroft will direct the OLD HAUNTS film adaptation with a script by Aaron Rabin.
The ever-prolific Vertigo Entertainment is currently in various stages of production on numerous projects including the highly anticipated Zach Cregger film WEAPONS from New Line
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