Netflix To Produce An Irreverent Apocalypse Dramedy Called ‘Daybreak’

Zombies are the usual flavor for most apocalyptic series on television at the moment. From the stalwart, The Walking Dead, through to Z-Nation, iZombie, Glitch, and In the Flesh, everyone seems to be covered when it comes to variants on the zombie apocalypse. However, Netflix is now set to bring another flavor to the zombie apocalypse genre with a new series called Daybreak.

Netflix will begin production on a new apocalypse dark comedy, according to Variety. This new series is based on the Brian Ralph graphic novel of the same name and will contain 10 episodes in its first season.

Netflix has also released the following synopsis on Daybreak.

“Based on the graphic novel by Brian Ralph, the subversive dark comedy Daybreak finds 17-year-old high school outcast Josh searching for his missing girlfriend Sam in post-apocalyptic Glendale, California. Joined by a ragtag group of misfits including a pyromaniac 12 year old Angelica and Josh’s former high school bully Wesley, now turned pacifist samurai, Josh tries to stay alive amongst the horde of Mad Max-style gangs (evil jocks, cheerleaders turned Amazon warriors), zombie-like creatures called Ghoulies, and everything else this brave new world throws at him.”

While Netflix is billing Daybreak as a “dramedy,” the original graphic novel is considered an “art-house” take on the zombie genre. Brian Ralph’s graphic novel creates a slow build leading up to the horror of the undead in his world. Which, for those who like this sort of tension-building in their zombie TV shows, will be a welcome element if Netflix decides to closely follow the graphic novel premise.

Daybreak is the third graphic novel creation by Brian Ralph. His first, Cave In, and published in 1999, was considered to be “stunning.” He then followed up with Climbing Out in 2002. After that, the first volume of Daybreak was published by Bodega Distribution in 2006 and published in its entirety by Drawn & Quarterly in 2011.

As the Hollywood Reporter points out, this new series follows a recent spate of teenage-driven series for Netflix. Series as diverse as The Rain and 13 Reasons Why are all populated by a teenage cast.

Daybreak is co-created by Aron Eli Coleite and Brad Peyton. Aron Eli Coleite (Locke & Key, Star Trek: Discovery, Heroes) is also listed as executive producer and showrunner on Daybreak. Brad Peyton (Frontier, Rampage) will serve as director and an executive producer, producing Daybreak through ASAP Entertainment alongside Jeff Fierson (Frontier, Rampage).

With no information yet in relation to the production schedule for this new apocalyptic thriller, it is unclear when Daybreak will be released on Netflix, although THR has it slated for release in 2019.