Chuck Wendig’s Blackbirds will soon be arriving to predict doom on STARZ! The novel follows Miriam Black, a young runaway who has the horrible/useful ability to see how and when people will die when she touches them. The show will be executive produced by John Shiban, and according to Deadline, “has set up a writers room, often a pre-cursor to a series pickup at the pay cable network.”
Shiban has solid weird fiction credentials. He began his career as a staff writer on Fox’s The X-Files (where he wrote episodes including “Memento Mori” and “Monday”) before becoming executive producer on the show and sharing a writing and best drama series Emmy nomination. He was also a producer on Supernatural, as well as working on Torchwood’s “Miracle Day” series. He was a consulting producer on Breaking Bad, receiving a WGA Award nomination for the episode “Phoenix.” He most recently served as showrunner for Hell On Wheels.
The show has gotten a vote of confidence from the author, who says, “what they’ve put together so far is an amazing—and appropriately faithful—adaptation of the book. They grok Miriam.” We can’t wait to see what STARZ does with Wendig’s story!