NBCUniversal’s in-house production company, Universal Cable Productions (UCP), has picked up the rights to Canadian short story The House on Ashley Avenue for series development at NBC. 

Written by Peterborough, ON-based author Ian Rogers, The House on Ashley Avenue is from his 2013 collection Every House Is Haunted, published by Toronto’s ChiZine Publications.

UCP is developing the series with L.A.-based prodco Vertigo Entertainment, headed by producer Roy Lee (Blair Witch, The Voices). Jason Pagan and Andrew Deutschman (Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension)  will write the pilot.

Rogers’ short story follows agents who work for an insurance company that owns eight extremely haunted properties too dangerous to sell to the public.

“It’s like Men In Black meets The X-Files. There’s a supernatural element to it there, but it’s as much about the characters as it is about the monsters,” Rogers told Playback Daily.

Under the deal, Rogers will have an opportunity to write an episode and will have a coproducer credit on the series. He will also work as a creative consultant on each episode.

The deal was negotiated by Jeff Alpern and Samantha London of The Alpern Group.