Resident Alien comic book adaptation is a go at Syfy, Alan Tudyk to star

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Let's all summon our best Oprah Winfrey impression, shall we? You get an Alan Tudyk! And you get an Alan Tudyk! Everybody gets an Alan Tudyk! Seriously, who isn't trying to court the FIREFLY and DOOM PATROL alum to be a part of their film or television project nowadays?

This afternoon, it was announced that SYFY has given a series order to RESIDENT ALIEN, an adaptation of Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse's Dark Horse Comics property. Not only that, but THR has also confirmed that the network has landed DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY actor Alan Tudyk for the lead role.

Based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name written by Peter Hogan with art by Steve Parkhouse, the story revolves around Harry (Tudyk), an alien who, after crash landing on Earth, adopts the identity of an elderly doctor who dies in an unrelated car crash. Using his telepathic abilities, Harry is able to trick most humans into thinking he's an ordinary citizen. Years into his residency, he's contacted by the mayor of his city, and is asked to serve as a stand-in for a fellow practitioner who'd been murdered. As the investigation continues, Harry finds that he's become fascinated by the humans, which creates a moral dilemma between his mission and a gut feeling that humankind might be worth saving.

Chris Sheridan of FAMILY GUY fame is adapting the series for SYFY, in addition to executive producing alongside Dark Horse Entertainment's Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg. Amblin Television's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank will also serve as executive producers, with David Dobkin joining in to executive produce. Dobkin also directed the pilot, which must have been good considering SYFY's willingness to give the series a chance to shine on their network.

Joining Tudyk for RESIDENT ALIEN are stars Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund and Levi Fiehler.

Recently, Dark Horse saw Netflix's adaptation of THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY arrive to much acclaim from critics as well as fans of writer Gerard Way and artist Gabriel Ba's bizarre superhero series. With an expected season two renewal in the works for the aforementioned series, it should come as no surprise that SYFY is anxious to host another outlandish story from the beloved comic books publisher.

I don't know about you, but I am loving this boom of indie comic-to-screen adaptations we've been experiencing between mid-2018 and into this year. As of the moment, we've got shows like DEADLY CLASS, THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, HAPPY!, PREACHER, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, and others paving the way for more comic book related programming outside the superhero spectrum. Okay, so maybe THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY is a superhero show, but you must admit that it's an unconventional one, and that certainly counts for something. Variety is the spice of life, my friends, and I say bring on the indie comics like whoa!