AWA, Vertigo Entertainment Announce Partnership to Create New Horror Storytelling Pipeline

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By William Earl, Variety

Artists Writers & Artisans, Inc. and Vertigo Entertainment have announced a new partnership set to turbocharge horror storytelling.

The partnership will originate horror stories from a curated group of writers and artists and will develop stories over different formats like prose, comics, film and TV.

“AWA and Vertigo Entertainment are building the next generation of top horror franchises,” the announcement reads. “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 CCO Axel Alonso and AWA Studios president Zach Studin are set to discuss the partnership at a Tribeca X panel this afternoon called “The Future of Fear.”

Vertigo Entertainment, Roy Lee’s production company, has a strong footing in the horror community, as Lee has produced films such as “Barbarian,” “It,” “The Grudge,” “The Ring” and the recent Shudder hit “Late Night With the Devil.” Among Vertigo’s upcoming projects include Zach Cregger’s eagerly-anticipated feature “Weapons.”

Since 2020, AWA has published critically acclaimed horror comics and graphic novels, such as John Lees and Dalibor Talajic’s “Hotell,” Rob Williams and Ollie Masters’ “Old Haunts,” Garth Ennis and Jacen Burros’ “The Ribbon Queen” and Benjamin Percy and Daniel Kraus’ “Year Zero.”

“I’m constantly looking for new stories that bring dread and surprise to push the genre forward in daring, unexpected ways,” Lee said in a statement. “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, who was editor-in-chief of Marvel before AWA, 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.”

Before this partnership, AWA Studios set up projects at other studios and streamers for adaptations of graphic novels and comics, including a strategic TV relationship with Fremantle. “Hotell” is set for a feature film adaptation, directed by Elle Callahan from a script by Callahan and Anthony Ruff. “Old Haunts” is also set for a film adaptation, with James Ashcroft directing a script by Aaron Rabin.

For more information on AWA’s partnership with Vertigo Entertainment and other projects, visit AWA Studios on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and AWAStudios.com.

ABOUT AWA
Artists Writers and Artisans, Inc. (AWA) is an award-winning independent graphic fiction publisher and entertainment studio founded in 2018 by alumni of Marvel, DC, NBA, Fox, Hulu, and MTV, with former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso serving as Chief Creative Officer. Armed with some of the freshest and most critically acclaimed graphic fiction in a generation, AWA has established itself as an industry leader regarding its relationship with artists and writers by providing creators the freedom, incentive structure, and editorial support to pursue their boldest, most original, and socially relevant work. AWA has assembled a lineup of the world’s most renowned comic book talent, and its titles have been recognized as Eisner, Ringo, and New York Press Club award winners. With AWA’s Film & TV Studio, the company is building a distinct array of cutting-edge film and TV projects anchored in its burgeoning library of groundbreaking stories. Led by Hollywood veteran Zach Studin, AWA Studios has more than 20 projects in active development with industry-leading studios, networks, and streamers including the feature film adaptation of the AWA graphic novel MARJORIE FINNEGAN: TEMPORAL CRIMINAL, currently in development with LuckyChap Entertainment and Camp Hobart and the television adaptation of DEVIL’s HIGHWAY with Fremantle. Investors include Lupa Systems, Lightspeed Venture Partners, SISTER, and Fremantle. AWA is repped by Grandview.

ABOUT VERTIGO ENTERTAINMENT
Vertigo Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 2001 by Roy Lee. Vertigo has produced feature films to critical acclaim, amounting to over $5 Billion at the box office worldwide. The list of projects Vertigo has produced is extensive, but to name a few: Barbarian, the It franchise, The Lego Movie franchise, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, The Grudge franchise, The Ring franchise, and The Departed.