Universal Cable Productions is likely going to be pretty busy if they can get this off the ground as George R.R. Martin has revealed on his livejournal site that the Wild Cards anthology series that he edits has been acquired and he’s hopeful that it’ll see broadcast in some form within the next couple of years. Martin’s involvement in it, however, will be pretty hands-off.
“(M)y own development deal is exclusive to HBO, and I am writing The Winds of Winter, as I believe most of you will recall… but I have every confidence in Melinda Snodgrass and Gregory Noveck. They know and love the Wild Cards universe almost as well as I do, and I think they will do a terrific job.”
“Melinda M. Snodgrass, my assistant editor and right-hand man on Wild Cards since its inception, the creator of Dr. Tachyon, Double Helix, and Franny Black, and a seasoned television writer/ producer whose credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation (“Measure of a Man”), Reasonable Doubts, The Profiler, and Star Command, is attached as an executive producer on the project, together with Gregory Noveck of RED, Slow Learner, and SyFy Films.”
“The shared world of the Wild Cards diverged from our own on September 15, 1946 when an alien virus was released in the skies over Manhattan, and spread across an unsuspecting Earth. Of those infected, 90% died horribly, drawing the black queen, 9% were twisted and deformed into jokers, while a lucky 1% became blessed with extraordinary and unpredictable powers and became aces. The world was never the same.”
Property concept: Set during an alternate history of post-World War II United States, the series follows events after an airborne alien virus is released over New York City in 1946 and eventually infects tens of thousands globally. The virus, designed to rewrite DNA, was developed as a bioweapon by a noble family on the planet Takis, and it is taken to Earth to test on humans, who are genetically identical to the people of Takis. Dr. Tachyon, a member of this family, objects and attempts to stop them. However, his attempt crashes their ship, releasing the virus.
The virus affects each individual differently, and it becomes known as the Wild Card virus because of these “random and unpredictable” symptoms. It kills 90% of those who contract it and mutates the remaining percentage. Of that remainder, 9% are Jokers, who develop minor or crippling physical conditions. 1% are Aces, who remain human or mostly human in appearance but develop superhuman abilities; Aces whose abilities are too trivial or specific to be generally valuable are called Deuces.