Skybound Entertainment, known for creating stories across a number of mediums, has announced a new slate of scripted audio projects to be released in conjunction with Audible Inc..
These projects include the true-crime story Death by Unknown Event, written by Flinder Boyd and Danielle Elliot; Gasolina, an adaptation of Sean Mackiewicz and Niko Walter's Skybound/Image comic; Impact Winter, described as "apocalypse-meets-vampire story" from Travis Beacham, and more.
Skybound CEO David Alpert stated, "Audible has been at the forefront of innovating on what's possible with audio storytelling. We could not have asked for a better collaborator as we seek to expand the reach of our narratives," while Audible EVP, Head of U.S. Content Rachel Ghiazza added, "Skybound has a track record of incredible storytelling with rich narratives and complex characters. No one else brings to life a post-apocalyptic tale quite like this team!"
Among its many works, Skybound is known for The Walking Dead comic book series, Invincible, Outcast and more. Skybound has announced a number of film, television and video game projects, including remasters of Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights through Skybound Games.
Read the full press release below:
October 1, 2020 (Los Angeles, CA) – Today multiplatform content company Skybound Entertainment and Audible Inc., the world’s largest producer and provider of original spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks, announced their upcoming narrative slate. The upcoming scripted audio projects under the previously announced first look deal will be Death By Unknown Event, a bizarre and chilling true-crime story, Gasolina, an adaptation of Sean Mackiewicz and Niko Walter’s supernatural Skybound/Image comic of the same name, and Impact Winter, an apocalypse-meets-vampire story from Travis Beacham, are all coming exclusively to Audible.
"Audible has been at the forefront of innovating on what's possible with audio storytelling. We could not have asked for a better collaborator as we seek to expand the reach of our narratives," said David Alpert, Skybound CEO.
"Skybound has a track record of incredible storytelling with rich narratives and complex characters. No one else brings to life a post-apocalyptic tale quite like this team! As we continue to broaden our content offerings, working with these veteran players to bring listeners unmatched entertainment is very exciting," said Rachel Ghiazza, Audible's EVP, Head of US Content.
2020 marks the ten-year anniversary of Skybound Entertainment, whose notable IP catalogue includes The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Outcast. The company has a comic book publishing deal through Image, and first-looks at Amazon for TV and Universal for film. Specialized in genre stories, Skybound's slate brings an assortment of sci-fi, horror, and fantasy to Audible.
Details on each project below:
Death By Unknown Event: Over the course of seven years, Vancouver nurse Cindy James reported more than 100 separate incidents of harassment in a saga that ended in her death in 1989. During those seven years, the police found no leads and made no arrests, and her equally mysterious passing sparked the longest and most expensive coroner’s inquest in Canadian history. But despite exhaustive efforts to make sense of the case, what happened to Cindy James is still unclear, and her cause of death was officially deemed an “unknown event.” Investigating one of the most confounding cases in recent history Death by Unknown Event illuminates the bizarre and chilling context surrounding Cindy’s life and the inscrutable circumstances of her death.
Credits: Written by Flinder Boyd and Danielle Elliot, with research and additional reporting by Renée Lukacs. Produced in partnership with Wind Sun Sky, Kamala Films, Michael Robison, Patrick Lussier and Daniel Cerone.
Gasolina: In this adaptation of the Eisner Award-nominated comic book series, Randy and Amalia find themselves in the middle of the Mexican drug war as it turns supernatural. Trying to leave behind their past reputations as El Doctor y La Asesina, the givers and takers of life, the couple is pulled back in when Amalia’s nephew is kidnapped. The new cartel behind the crime is notorious for their brutality and ruthlessness…and for their eerily devout worship of a mysterious new saint, La Querida. The series will be a bilingual audio release, with full recordings completed in both Spanish and English.
Credits: Based on the Skybound/Image comic book series by Sean Mackiewicz and Niko Walter. Adapted for audio by Gabriel Urbina, creator of genre-defining work, Wolf 359.
Impact Winter: In the post-apocalyptic near future, a devastating comet impact has blacked out the sun. Humans live in hiding during an endless night, stalked by vampires who are now the planet’s apex predator. From Travis Beacham, the mind behind Carnival Row and Pacific Rim, comes a story that follows two sisters who reckon with forces beyond their control as they fight back against the monsters keeping them – and all humanity – hidden in the dark.
Credits: Written and directed by Travis Beacham. Produced in partnership with Anonymous Content.