AMC Hires Brian Percival and David Mackenzie to Direct Its New Pilots ‘Knifeman’ and ‘Galyntine’

AMC has two brand new original series this year, in addition to “Breaking Bad” spinoff “Better Call Saul” — Revolutionary War spy saga “Turn,” premiering April 6th, and ’80s tech drama “Halt and Catch Fire,” premiering June 1st. And the network’s been trying to step up the pace of its original series game with two more pilots in the works — “Knifeman” and “Galyntine”

Today AMC announced that pilots have been hired for both pilots, which are being produced by AMC Studios and will be shot this year for 2015 series consideration. Brian Percival (“The Book Thief,” “Downton Abbey”) will direct “Knifeman,” set in 18th century London and centered on the hard-drinking surgeon/barber John Tattersal, who pushed the boundaries of modern medicine while making money on the side harvesting organs for his brother’s teaching hospital. Rolin Jones (“United States of Tara,” “Friday Night Lights”) wrote the pilot, and developed the project alongside Ron Fitzgerald — both are executive producers.

David Mackenzie (“Hallam Foe,” “Perfect Sense”) will direct the pilot for “Galyntine,” a sci-fi/fantasy project set in the future after a cataclysmic disaster has resulted in a new society that eschews any form of technology. The small number of survivors scattered around the planet have been forced to adapt. Jason Cahill (“Halt and Catch Fire,” “Fringe”) wrote the pilot, and is executive producing it with Greg Nicotero (“The Walking Dead”) as well as David Zucker and Ridley Scott by way of Scott Free Productions.