Norman Reedus Turning Cult-Classic Movie Into TV Show

Norman Reedus is taking on the cult classic Russ Meyer film Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! alongside AMC Studios. The Walking Dead star’s bigbaldhead production company and AMC Studios are developing a television series version of Meyer’s iconic 1965 movie starring Satana, Lori Williams, Susan Bernard, Paul Trina, Haji and Stuart Lancaster, reported Deadline Monday.

The project is still in its early stages but plans on paying homage to the movie’s original story of a trio of go-go dancers on a cash-fueled rampage through the desert while also going beyond the cool cars and combat to delve into the strong female characters and overturning of cultural norms that made Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill! such an iconic film. “I’ve been watching Russ Meyer’s film since I was a kid, wearing my Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill! shirt to school,” Reedus told the outlet. “It’s safe to say I’m beyond inspired by Russ’ style of filmmaking and I am over the moon excited for the opportunity to reimagine this story for the modern world.”

Reedus will serve as executive producer on the Faster Pussycat series and will be joined by bigbaldhead’s JoAnne Colonna and Amanda Verdon. Janice Cowart, sole trustee of the Russ Meyer Charitable Trust, will also be an executive producer on the series, having operated RM Films International since Meyer’s death in 2004 at age 82. “I hit it off with bigbaldhead right away,” Cowart told Deadline Monday. “I am convinced this team is special and can be entrusted to honor Russ Meyer’s iconic film. I am more than excited to collaborate with them alongside AMC.”

Reedus’ project comes just as The Walking Dead prepares for a supersized 11th and final season, debuting Aug. 22 on AMC. Season 11 will consist of a total of 24 episodes, which will drop in blocks of approximately eight episodes each, making the final season will carry on well into 2022. Showrunner and executive producer Angela Kang said last month that the final season will be “bigger than ever.”

“The stakes will be high – we’ll see more zombies, tons of action, intriguing new stories, never-before-seen locations and our groups together in one community for the first time, trying to rebuild what the Whisperers took from them,” she continued in April. Following the end of The Walking Dead, Reedus and Melissa McBride will transition to their own spinoff series chronicling their characters’ adventures, set to premiere in 2023.