Jeff Smith’s science fiction/adventure comic book Rasl, which won the Eisner Award for “Best Graphic Album” in 2014 (see “2014 Eisner Award Winners”), has been optioned for television.  Production company Parkes/MacDonald, which recently added former AMC (The Walking Dead) executive Owen Shifflett, is developing Rasl as part of the company’s “first look” deal with Universal Television. 

Rasl, the noirish saga of a scientist-turned-art thief who hides by careening between multiple dimensions, was optioned for a motion picture by Sherlock Holmes producer Lionel Wigram more than four years ago (see “Jeff Smith’s Rasl Optioned”), but with that option languishing, it now appears much more likely that Rasl will become the first Jeff Smith property on the small screen. 

Deadline reports that Jeff Smith and Vijaya Iyer will serve as producers on the Rasl TV series.  ICv2 reviewer Nick Smith gave the Rasl graphic novel four out of five stars (see “Review of Rasl: Pocket Book One”).