Hit '90s graphic novel series is getting turned into a TV show by I Saw the TV Glow director – and we're ready for all the NSFW body horror

Justice Smith as Owen in I Saw the TV Glow
(Image credit: A24)

The writer-director of I Saw the TV Glow is turning Black Hole, a hit graphic novel series from the '90s that's basically Contagion meets Freaks and Geeks, into a TV show for Netflix.

After the news was dropped by Deadline on October 23, filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, whose previous works also include trippy found-footage flick We're All Going to the World's Fair, took to Twitter to describe the adaptation as a "lifelong dream project".

Jane Schoenbrun

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Written and illustrated by Burns, Black Hole follows a group of Seattle-based teens in the '70s, who contract a mysterious STD one fateful summer. "The Bug", as they so dub it, causes them to develop grotesque physical mutations, resulting in them running away from home and setting up camp in a nearby wood. The kids' problems go from bad to worse, though, when a serial killer starts offing them one-by-one.

Set across 12 issues, the story explores the difficulties of transitioning into adulthood, sexual awakening, and high-school alienation.

Way back in 2007, it was announced that David Fincher was working on a feature-length take – but the Fight Club helmer dropped up eventually following years of it being in development hell. High Tension's Alejandre Aja was once attached to an adaptation, too. Another attempt was confirmed in February 2018, with The Mandalorian's Rick Famuyiwa on board. Neither made it to the screen.

For more, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix or our breakdown of the most exciting upcoming horror movies heading our way.

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.

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