Norman Reedus and AMC Adapting ‘Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!’ TV Series
The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus is teaming up with AMC Studios to adapt cult favorite Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! into a television series.
Reedus’ bigbaldhead production company and AMC Studios are in the early stages of adapting Russ Meyer’s 1965 film for the small screen. The series is said to honor the original but also put a more prominent focus on the strong female characters and the overthrowing of societal norms. Meyer’s estate is fully behind the project.
“I’ve been watching Russ Meyer’s film since I was a kid, wearing my Faster, Pussycat! Kill Kill! shirt to school,” Reedus told Deadline. “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.” He later reiterated his excitement on social media, stating what an honor it is to be entrusted with this series.
OVERTHEMOON !!!! ( been waiting forever to announce this what an honor to be able to do this. Thank you to the estate for entrusting this to us and amc for the support as always ❤️) https://t.co/v9zPoXqaJa
— norman reedus (@wwwbigbaldhead) May 24, 2021
Reedus, who signed a two-year first-look deal with AMC, will serve as executive producer on the show alongside bigbaldhead’s JoAnne Colonna and Amanda Verdon and the sole trustee of the Russ Meyer Charitable Trust, Janice Cowart. Since Meyer’s passed away in 2004, the Trust has handled the operations of RM Films International.
“I hit it off with bigbaldhead right away,” Cowart said. “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.”
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is an exploitation film that follows a trio of go-go dancers as they journey through the California desert on a spree of kidnapping and killing. It is mostly remembered for its shocking violence, controversial gender roles, and the lead performance from Tura Satana, who starred alongside Haji and Lori Williams. While a critical and commercial flop at the time, the movie has gone on to receive acclaim and cult status over the years.
In the meantime, Reedus is still busy with The Walking Dead, in which he plays Daryl Dixon. The eleventh season of the long-running AMC show is set to premiere on August 22, and a spinoff series featuring Daryl and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) is expected to hit our screens in 2023.
