EXCLUSIVE: AMC is looking to break new ground with a primetime animated drama series, Pantheon. The basic cable network has open writers rooms for two series projects, Pantheon, from Turn creator/executive producer Craig Silverstein, and drama St. Luke’s, from The Walking Dead co-executive producer Seth Hoffman. Both hail from AMC Studios. St. Luke’s also is from Channing Tatum’s Free Association.

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Pantheon is based on a series of short stories by Ken Liu about uploaded intelligence. Because of the project’s unique nature, I hear that, in addition to a writers room, which will produce multiple scripts, AMC has commissioned a five-minute animated presentation.

While there is no hard rule, ABC in the past year or so has set up writers rooms for two projects at the beginning of the year and for two more in mid-year under its scripts-to-series model. Of the two projects to open writers rooms in January, the Jason Segel anthology series Dispatches From Elsewhere was recently picked up to series. The other, Book Of Lies, is being shopped by AMC Studios to streaming platforms.

Silverstein serves as writer, executive producer and showrunner on Pantheon. He is repped by WME. Liu is with the Cheng Caplan Company, and the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

Written by Hoffman, St. Luke’s centers on 18-year-old Derrick Dunn. He lives in a one-bedroom apartment with his mother and two brothers. He’s a budding basketball star with a seemingly limitless future ahead of him… if no one discovers who he really is.

Hoffman executive produces with Tatum, Ezra Edelman, Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan of Free Association; Bryan Holdman is co-executive producer; Nellie Reed also executive produces. She developed the project prior to her joining Color Force. Hoffman is repped by CAA.

Recent AMC series that have taken that path to screen are Dietland, Lodge 49 and the upcoming NOS4A2.