Making sure they're not caught with empty creative plates next year, AMC is ramping up development on three interesting new projects, including a horror-fantasy from Stephen King's son, Joe Hill, a techno-thriller about an internet meltdown, and a new world order sci-fi tale centering around weird paranormal kids.

All three properties, “NOS4A2,” “Pandora” and “Silent History,” are now being labeled as "straight-to-series" and shoved into the writers' room for further explorations as to whether the premises will hold up as a multi-episode show. It's a rigorous boot camp for engaging projects that weeds out the most promising candidates to move on into a greenlit pilot and eventual series.

“We look forward to diving deep into these three distinctive projects and opening writers’ rooms that allow our talented creative partners to take their visions to the next level,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios.

Here are the official details concerning all three projects:

"NOS4A2" by Jami O'Brien

Jami O'Brien, executive producer

Based on the novel NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, executive producer

Description: Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. Charles Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides, transporting them to an astonishing - and terrifying - playground of amusements he calls "Christmasland." Vic, with her gift, is the only one able to track the superhuman Manx. But finding him is the easy part. Defeating Manx and rescuing his victims will take everything Vic's got and nearly kill her in the process.

"Pandora" by Sam Vincent & Jonathan Brackley

Sam Vincent & Jonathan Brackley, executive producers

Executive Producer: Sister Pictures (Jane Featherstone, Dan Isaacs and Christopher Fry)

Description: Pandora is a global mystery-thriller that follows three converging storylines as ordinary individuals try to piece together dark secrets leaking out into the world after advanced malware dismantles encryption across the Internet.

"Silent History" by Claire Carré & Charles Spano

Producer: Owen Shiflett

Based on the app and novel The Silent History by Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby and Kevin Moffatt

Description: An adaptation of the award-winning app and novel created by Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby and Kevin Moffett, The Silent History tells the story of a generation of unusual children - born without the ability to create or comprehend language, but perhaps with other surprising skills of their own. As the condition spreads to epidemic levels, theories form and society is faced with how to deal with this new evolution of human. Silent History plays on the fears of technology and the threat of "the other," shaking up our assumptions about who we are and how we should live.

The cable network is also in production on The Terror, a supernatural period adventure series starring Jared Harris and based on Dan Simmons' frightening novel about an 1847 British naval expedition to the North Pole gone horribly wrong. The Terror is expected to air late in 2017.

What do you think about any of these enticing new projects from AMC, and with The Walking Dead starting to show its age, which of these might be a minor replacement?

(Via Variety)