Emmy and Peabody Award winner Daniel Powell to Executive Produce TV adaptation of Dan Fogler’s horror-comedy graphic novel series published by Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal Studios to co-produce alongside Bardel Entertainment, the Emmy Award-winning animation studio behind ‘Rick and Morty’ and ‘Teen Titans Go!’

Los Angeles, CA — Heavy Metal Entertainment’s studio division, Heavy Metal Studios, is teaming up with award-winning actor-writer Dan Fogler to produce an animated TV adaptation of Fogler’s genre-bending graphic novel series, Moon Lake. Bardel Entertainment, the animation studio behind hit shows like Rick and Morty and Teen Titans Go! will be animating and co-producing the series alongside Heavy Metal Studios. Daniel Powell, the multi-hyphenate co-President of production company Irony Point, which recently struck a multi-year overall deal with Netflix, will serve as an Executive Producer on the madcap horror-comedy show.

Moon Lake is a thirty-minute animated TV show, hosted by the Man in the Moon, a farcical character reminiscent of iconic TV anthology hosts of the past, like Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock. Held captive by “moon-men” since childhood, The Man prevents these aliens from attacking Earth by keeping them endlessly entertained with shocking tales of gruesome horror and hilarity. Each episode follows a different deranged set of characters in a strange new setting; whether it be following a ghost-whispering cave-woman on prehistoric Earth, a murderous cheerleader at a modern-day high school, or fighters in a bizarre alien war in space, each story plays into campy classic monster, horror, and sci-fi tropes in a ludicrously hilarious way.

“I am over the moon, pun totally intended, to be adapting my graphic novel series, Moon Lake, with Heavy Metal, Daniel Powell, and Bardel Entertainment,” said Dan Fogler, creator and Executive Producer of the upcoming Moon Lake TV show. “It’s a dream collaboration. We promise to make you laugh and freak you out well into the afterlife, with the finest voice talent in the business.”

Executive Producer Daniel Powell added: “As a lifelong fan of animation, horror-comedy, comic books, and the sound of Dan Fogler’s voice, I’m so grateful to have found a project that combines all of these interests.”

The Moon Lake TV show is based on Fogler’s ongoing series of anthology graphic novels, published by Heavy Metal, with the newest volume debuting October 19th. Heavy Metal Entertainment is best known as the home of the legendary illustrated sci-fi, fantasy, and horror publication Heavy Metal Magazine and a slate of comics, graphic novels, and prose books, a highly reviewed podcast network, and the 1981 animated cult classic film, Heavy Metal.

Heavy Metal Studios is led by President and studio Head Tommy Coriale, who is actively developing and producing a full slate of film and TV projects based on Heavy Metal’s treasure trove of original IP.

“Dan Fogler is a brilliant mad scientist as both a writer and an actor, and Daniel Powell is an exceptional and rare comedic force, a jack of all trades. I am ecstatic to be working side by side with these two evil geniuses to explore the hilariously macabre mysteries of Moon Lake, and to be bringing the world an animated series that is as Heavy Metal as you can get,” said Tommy Coriale, Executive Producer and Head of Heavy Metal Studios.

Added CEO of Heavy Metal Entertainment, Matthew Medney: “Bardel is the kind of magical place where imagination becomes reality, which makes them the perfect partner for the beautifully insane mind of Dan Fogler. The entire partnership that is bringing the animated version of Moon Lake to life really represents the spirit of Heavy Metal at its deepest core.”

Dan Fogler and Daniel Powell will Executive Produce the Moon Lake animated TV series alongside Tommy Coriale and Matthew Medney at Heavy Metal Studios, and Tina Chow and Richard Grieve at Bardel Entertainment.

Dan Fogler is represented by Management 360 and UTA. Daniel Powell is represented by Range Media Partners and UTA. Heavy Metal is represented by Range Media Partners.

ABOUT HEAVY METAL ENTERTAINMENT

First published in 1977, Heavy Metal Magazine, the world’s foremost illustrated magazine, explores fantastic and surrealistic worlds, alternate realities, science fiction and thrillers, in the past, present, and future. Writers and illustrators from around the world take you to places you never dreamed existed. Heavy Metal Magazine was the first publisher to bring European legends like Moebius, Enki Bilal, and Pepe Moreno to the U.S. while showcasing non-mainstream American superstars like Richard Corben, Vaughn Bode and Frazetta. The magazine continues to showcase amazing new talent along with established creators. Now published monthly, Heavy Metal Magazine features serialized and standalone stories, artist galleries, short stories in prose and interviews. Heavy Metal Entertainment is home not only to its iconic magazine, but also an incredible slate of comics and prose novels, a podcast network, and a studio division. Heavy Metal Studios, spearheaded by President Tommy Coriale, is developing and producing TV and film content adapted from Heavy Metal’s rich and vast library of original IP. Heavy Metal Studios also has partnered with top-tier management firm Range Media Partners to co-produce screen projects. The iconic home of cutting-edge sci-fi, fantasy, and horror stories is moving at warp speed toward the future, so buckle the f*ck up. With CEO Matthew Medney and an incredible team at the helm, Heavy Metal promises to boldly go where no one has gone before. Explore ancient secrets, forgotten worlds and savage futures…experience Heavy Metal. Join us at www.heavymetal.com.

ABOUT DAN FOGLER

Dan Fogler won a Tony award for his portrayal of the character Mr. William Barfee that he created for the critically acclaimed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is now being adapted for film by Disney. The creator/founder of Fogler’s Fictions, he would like to thank Heavy Metal for 35 years of inspiration. All of Fogler’s Fictions are an homage to the comics Dan grew up reading and we’re happy to announce that Moon Lake, Fishkill, and Brooklyn Gladiator are all in early development for TV and film! You can catch Dan as Luke on The Walking Dead and as Jacob in the Fantastic Beasts films. Other Fogler’s Fiction titles from Heavy Metal include Brooklyn Gladiator with Simon Bisely, Fishkill with Ben Templesmith, and of course the Moon Lake horror anthology series titles, Moon Lake Volume 1: Midnight Munchies, Moon Lake Volume 2: Tales of Lunacy, and Moon Lake Volume 3: Guide To The Darkside. Dan is currently playing Francis Ford Coppola in The Offer for Paramount Plus.

ABOUT DANIEL POWELL

Daniel Powell is the Emmy and Peabody winning co-President of TV & Film production company Irony Point. He co-created and Executive Produced Inside Amy Schumer and is an EP/director of Amy Schumer’s upcoming Hulu series Life & Beth. Additional producer credits include I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix), That Damn Michael Che (HBO Max), Astronomy Club (Netflix) and the cult animated series Ugly Americans (Comedy Central). Earlier in his career, he was an Associate Producer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and a contributing writer to Robert Smigel’s “TV Funhouse” segments on Saturday Night Live. He is a founding partner of podcast company Radio Point. His independent film Becks, co-written and co-directed with Liz Rohrbaugh, won the 2017 L.A. Film Festival and was distributed in 2018 by Blue Fox. He recently produced Josh Ruben’s film Scare Me which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by Shudder.

ABOUT BARDEL ENTERTAINMENT

Bardel Entertainment Inc. is an Emmy Award®-winning studio with over 30 years of industry leading experience. Bardel’s reputation has been built on three core values: quality, creativity and innovation. Bardel has two state-of-the-art studios located in Vancouver and Kelowna, Canada. Currently, Bardel provides animation services for a diverse slate of blue-chip clients including Netflix, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network-Adult Swim, Nickelodeon, HBO Max and Disney +. With top audience hits such as The Dragon Prince, Rick and Morty, and Teen Titans Go!, Bardel attracts award-winning technical & animation talent from around the world. Bardel consistently embraces collaborations that inspire growth and creativity, while always valuing and nurturing talented artists. Bardel is committed to delivering only the highest quality content. www.bardel.ca.