‘First Purge’ Filmmaker Gerard McMurray Signs Overall Deal with BET, Tackling Adaptation of Vault Comics‘ ‘Resonant’ (Exclusive)

Gerard McMurray, the filmmaker behind The First Purge, has signed an overall deal with BET Studios. And as part of the deal, McMurray has set up a series adaptation of Resonant, a post-apocalyptic title from Vault Comics.

CBS Studios and Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions have teamed up for Resonant, on which McMurray will act as executive producer, writer and director. The drama project is targeted for the BET+ streaming service.

Other exec producers on Resonant include Damian Wassel and F.J. DeSanto for Vault and Scott, David W. Zucker, Jordan Sheehan and Clayton Krueger via Scott Free.

Based on the comic by David Andry and artists Alejandro Aragon and Skylar Patridge, the tale is set a decade after an event known as the Waves hit, unleashing humanity’s most violent impulses and plunging the world into chaos.

The story centers on a single father of three who must venture from the secluded haven he built in order to restock the medicine his chronically ill, youngest son needs to survive. When his routine trip goes awry, the man and his children — now separated — will battle everything in their paths to reunite. As each member of the family is faced with an odyssey of their own, they will be forced to confront not only the horrors of the new world order, but their doubts about one another and the darkest corners of their own hearts. 

“My company, Buppie Productions, is committed to creating exciting and entertaining content that reflects the Black experience across all genres,” said McMurray in a statement. “BET is an iconic brand that has been at the forefront of creating spaces for Black creators like myself to showcase our talent. I’m proud to  partner with BET Studios to bring my unique vision for storytelling to the television landscape. Resonant is the perfect first project for me to kick off my deal with BET. I’m also excited to be working with CBS Studios, Vault Comics and the amazing team at Scott Free Productions to bring the graphic novel to life as a TV series.”

“We’re so thrilled to have Gerard join our growing arsenal of collaborators for BET Studios,” stated Aisha Summers Burke, executive vp and general manager of BET Studios. “As BET aligns with the rapidly shifting media landscape, it is vital to work with a team of creators who are tapped into the intricacies and nuances of the Black experience, as well as those whose industry acumen is unmatched. We found this, and much more, in Gerard. We look forward to seeing our partnership flourish through this venture.”

Buppie Productions’ director of development Ian Ward will help McMurray lead the charge with the new deal.

McMurray, who grew up in New Orleans’ famous 7th Ward before going on to graduate from Howard University and USC Film School’s MFA program, made a name for himself with Burning Sands, an indie drama set in the world of underground hazing and picked up by Netflix. From there, he directed 2018’s The First Purge, set in the world of the popular Blumhouse-Universal franchise.

He has several projects set up around town, including The Formula for Netflix, Booker for Sony Pictures, Black for Studio 8 and Warner Bros.  

He is repped by WME, Artists First and Gang Tyre.