Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment has signed a two-year first-look deal with Universal Pictures, the companies announced Wednesday.  Skybound Entertainment was founded in 2010 by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman with Circle of Confusion partner David Alpert (who, with Kirkman, is an executive producer of The Walking Dead) to produce content while retaining creative control.  “I believe this partnership is going to help David and I achieve all the goals we set out to accomplish when we founded Skybound five years ago,” Kirkman said. 

Kirkman's comics have, of course, been developed for multiple television shows, but the Universal deal will give the company a pipeline for films.  

The first feature film produced by Kirkman and Alpert is Air, the story of two custodians living in an underground bunker with cryogenically frozen people meant to re-populate society.  Due for release later this year, It stars Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Djimon Hounsou.