‘Roadside Picnic’ Strugatsky Bros. Drama From ‘Transcendence’ Writer & ‘Game Of Thrones’ Director Set At WGN America
Alien saga Roadside Picnic, one of the most famous novels of top Soviet/Russian science fiction writers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, is headed to Americ
an television. WGN America is developing a series adaptation written by Transcendence scribe Jack Paglen, directed by Terminator Genisys and Game of Thrones helmer Alan Taylor and produced by Neal Moritz. Sony Pictures TV, where the project was developed as a spec, is the studio, partnering with Tribune Studios.
Roadside Picnic is based on the Strugatsky brothers’ nov
el about an alien visitation to planet Earth, whose aftermath has led to the creation of “Zones” in the areas where the aliens had possibly landed. Such zones exhibit strange and dangerous phenomena not understood by humans, and contain artifacts with inexplicable, seemingly supernatural properties. Paglen and Taylor executive produce with Original Film’s Moritz and Vivian Cannon.
Published in Russia in 1972 under original title Пикник на обочине, Roadside Picnic has enjoyed an enduring popularity and was adapted to the big screen by top Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky as the influential 1979 movie Stalker.
Taylor is repped by CAA. Paglen is repped by ICM Partners. Moritz is with UTA.
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