Seconds: AMC developing series reboot of 1960s sci-fi horror story

AMC, the network behind The Walking Dead (and its many spin-offs) and the upcoming Anne Rice-inspired shows Interview with the Vampire and The Mayfair Witches, has now opened a writers room for a series called Seconds, which Deadline hears is a “radical reimagining” of the 1960s sci-fi horror story. Seconds originated with a novel written by David Ely (pick up a copy HERE), and in 1966 Ely’s story was brought to the screen with a film that was directed by John Frankenheimer and stars Rock Hudson. You can watch the film Seconds, which is in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry selection, at THIS LINK.

AMC’s take on Seconds is coming to us from creator / executive producer / showrunner Mark Lafferty, who worked as a writer and supervising producer on the AMC show Halt and Catch Fire. Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein, who were also executive producers on Halt and Catch Fire, with be executive producing Seconds with Lafferty and Peter Douglas. Douglas is involved because he acquired the rights to develop and produce remakes of and sequels to multiple Frankenheimer films back in 2010.

Lafferty’s Seconds idea centers on a woman named Claire Munro.

When Claire Munro’s world is suddenly turned upside down, she’s given a chance to start life over with a clean slate. But can she really leave everything behind, or will she find herself diving back into the mysteries of her past?

Ely’s novel had the following description:

What would you give up for a second chance?

Antiochus Wilson is completely and utterly bored with his life, until he receives the call that changes everything. When the voice on the other end of the line promises him excitement, wealth, and happiness, he is more than a little intrigued.

Arriving at a hastily scrawled address, Wilson discovers a mysterious and exclusive organization that offers its clients whole new lives . . . for a price. The organization arranges for a client’s demise or disappearance and outfits each with a new body in which to begin again. But there’s no turning back, and no room for second-guessing. When Wilson begins to question his new circumstances and pushes some very well-established boundaries a bit too far for the organization’s comfort, his second chance may just be his last.

AMC’s Dan McDermott expects their version of Seconds to be a “gripping and fast-paced psychological drama”, a great story with unforgettable characters that will “break through and say something about our broader world.” He also thinks it’s very exciting that it’s coming from the Halt and Catch Fire team, and hopes that will be exciting to viewers as well.

What do you think about Seconds getting a TV series reboot from the Halt and Catch Fire team? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.