USA continues to explore the alien-drama space with The Terrestrial, a project in development from feature horror/thriller writer Gary Dauberman (Annabelle). It hails from Fox21 TV Studios and studio-based Fabrik (The Killing, Bosch).

In The Terrestrial, after his estranged teenage daughter goes missing, a schizophrenic man is forced to confront his troubled past as he begins to believe his daughter’s kidnappers are the same as the ones that abducted him 10 years prior: aliens. Dauberman is executive producing with Fabrik’s Mikkel Bondesen, Henrik Bastin and Kristen Campo.

USA, which had success early in its foray into original scripted programming with The 4400, recently renewed its push to launch alien dramas on the network. It ordered period alien drama pilot Horizon, which didn’t go forward, and is filming the Carlton Cuse-produced pilot Colony, about an alien occupation.

In addition to The Conjuring prequel Annabelle, Dauberman, repped by ICM Partners, manager Chris Fenton and attorney Eric Suddelson, also wrote the upcoming Crawlspace for New Line. He got his break with a spec, Burst, which sold to Mandate Pictures with Sam Raimi producing. He has done production work for New Line’s Into the Storm, A Nightmare On Elm Street and Final Destination and is writing an untitled project for New Line and Crime Of The Century for Universal with Chris Morgan producing and Dan Trachtenberg attached to direct.