Famed guitarist Slash will launch his horror-movie company Slasher Films with a slate of four projects, including an adaptation of Wake the Dead, the 2004 comic series by Steve Niles and Chee.

Announced Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival, Slasher Films is geared toward "intelligent" horror. "I want something a little more in-depth," he said at the press conference. "Bring back a level of sophistication."

Published by IDW, Wake the Dead is a modern take on Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein, centering on a college student named Victor who attempts to reverse death. The adaptation has lingered in development for several years, beginning in 2004 at Dimension Films before moving in 2008 to Holding Pictures, where director Jay Russell (Tuck Everlasting, The Water Horse) and screenwriter James V. Hart (Bram Stoker's Dracula, Tuck Everlasting) were brought on board. Both remain involved.

“When Jay and I met with Slash we immediately connected on our love of horror and the way we wanted to see horror films made,” Niles told Hero Complex. “I never dreamed in a million years I’d get to meet Slash, let alone work with him. I’m thrilled."