John Harrison worked alongside master of horror George A. Romero for many years, their collaboration starting on DAWN OF THE DEAD, in which Harrison appeared as the "screwdriver zombie". Harrison went on to work as first A.D. on CREEPSHOW and DAY OF THE DEAD, have an acting role in KNIGHTRIDERS, write and direct episodes of Tales from the Darkside (he also directed the feature film), and compose the scores for CREEPSHOW and DAY OF THE DEAD. A couple decades later, he executive produced Romero's DIARY OF THE DEAD.
Harrison has built a solid career for himself apart from Romero as well, his credits including the 2000 television adaptation of Dune and the Clive Barker film BOOK OF BLOOD.
Now Harrison is scripting a television series based on the French graphic novel series Le Chants des Stryges. Dynamic Television, Grid Labs, and Element 8 Entertainment are teaming up to produce and the distribute the series, which is titled Stryx.
Stryx will followÂ
a disgraced American secret agent on the run who teams up with a mysterious female mercenary in his effort to clear his name. Together they uncover a web of powerful interests that transcend governments, and a race of super creatures that have long inhabited the Earth.
The Le Chants de Stryges website offers more information on these "super creatures":
Since the dawn of time, in every civilization, men have reported strange encounters with evil creatures. Sometimes griffons, sometimes vampires, the Stryges have crossed the centuries among us.
Nocturnal and evil spirits, women with bird bodies, they can take human form to seduce mortals and exhaust their vitality until death. Divinities disembodied, cruel and bloodthirsty, they wander at night to suck blood and devour the flesh of sleeping newborns.
Over the centuries, the term Stryge has extended to all that man fears: devil, sirens, vampires, extraterrestrials…
Sounds like that secret agent and mercenary team is going to have all sorts of nasty things to deal with on this show.
Published by Delcourt Group, the Le Chants des Stryges series consists of 17 volumes and has spawned five spin-offs. The television series is being executive produced by Daniel March and Holly Hines of Dynamic, Mark Mertens and Peter Lories of Grid Labs, and Jin Ishimoto, Harvey Myman, and Patty Ishimoto of Element 8.
Mertens promises the show will feature unique characters and riveting action.