The short takes place in a near future where body augmentations are the norm and entirely organic humans are looked down upon. The protagonist, Kay (played by Zlotescu), felt he had no choice but to “enhance,” so he stole a prototype, not realizing it was classified. When the story picks up, he is on the run, hiding from multiple groups in Bangkok. There, he undergoes still more alterations and encounters threats not just to his life, but his humanity as well.
Though only about six minutes long (including credits), the premise of True Skin seems to lend itself well to a series. The short was filmed entirely in Bangkok and features original music by J-Punch.
An adaptation, however, will have to live up to the short’s interesting visuals, courtesy of the director of photography, H1. Amazon Studios has handed the reins to Opticflavor, a VFX company headed by Zlotescu and Vlad Caprini, for visual effects. The firm has worked with musicians like Kanye West and Lady Gaga in the past.
True Skin was produced by Christopher Sewall, with Scott Glassgold is credited as manager. Glassgold is attached to produce the TV adaptation, along with his production company, Ground Control. Zlotescu will serve as director, though it’s not clear if he’ll reprise his role as Kay. No writers are attached yet, but a search is reportedly underway.
While there are still numerous steps between development and a completed pilot, we’re excited to see what Amazon Studios can do with such a strange and orginal tale as True Skin.
Watch the full short film below.
