Yet another Octavia Butler novel is getting adapted for television and film, officially establishing a crowded playing field for Butler projects.

Deadline reports that Butler’s novel Fledgling will be turned into a pilot script from Lovecraft Country executive producers and writers Sonya Winton-Odamtten and Jonathan I. Kidd. Issa Rae and J.J. Abrams will executive produce with Kidd and Winton-Odamtten through their respective productive arms, Hoorae and Bad Robot.

The book, completed one year before Butler’s death, follows a young girl suffering from amnesia but ultimately realizes her horrifying reality–she is actually a 53-year-old, genetically modified vampire.

“Forced to discover what she can learn about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted–and still wants–to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself,” states the book’s official description.

Warner Bros. Television will function as the studio for the pilot. Other executive producers for the pilot include Hoorae’s Montrel McKay and Sara Rastogi, Bad Robot’s Ben Stephenson, Rachel Rusch Rich, and Star Up executive producer Ray Ricord.

This is now the fifth Butler project in development, leading to what might be considered as an arms race of sorts between competing studios for Butler shows and films. But don’t think that fans of Black futurism are complaining.

As announced Monday, Garrett Bradley will direct A24’s adaptation of Parable of the Sower. Kindred, a television series to be directed by Zola director Janicza Bravo and written by Branden Jacob-Jenkins, is the most recent project based on a Butler novel. The series adaptation of Wild Seed by Viola Davis’ JuVee Productions, directed by Wanuri Kahiu and written by Nnedi Okorafor. And Butler’s book Dawn is also getting the television series treatment by Ava DuvVernay, Charles D. King’s MACRO, and will be directed by Victoria Mahoney.

Jonathan I. Kidd

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