Syfy is getting a head start on its summer slate with a special early drop of Revival, its genre-blending adaptation of the acclaimed Image Comics series, from creators Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce. The standalone episode, titled “Welcome to Wausau,” airs Sunday, May 25 at 8:30 PM ET—two weeks ahead of the show’s official premiere on June 12.
Set in a rural Wisconsin town thrown into chaos after the dead inexplicably return to life—fully intact and seemingly normal—Revival isn’t playing by traditional zombie rules. This is less outbreak horror, more grounded mystery with a sci-fi bent, with Syfy positioning it as a character-driven thriller for viewers burned out on gore and hungry for something moodier.
Melanie Scrofano leads the cast as Dana Cypress, a local cop and single mother whose life is upended when she’s assigned to investigate a brutal murder just as the town begins grappling with the implications of the “Revival Day” event. Romy Weltman plays Dana’s teenage daughter Em, with David James Elliott as Wayne Cypress, the family’s patriarch.
The early special serves as a tone-setter, introducing the series’ central hook: what happens when death no longer behaves as expected—and how a small community fractures under the weight of fear, suspicion, and long-buried secrets. It’s a layered pitch to genre fans looking for more atmosphere than splatter, with visual DNA that leans more Fargo than The Walking Dead.
Produced by Paper Street Pictures, the series blends crime, supernatural mystery, and slow-burn drama—a potentially strategic swing for Syfy as it continues to reassert its genre identity with serialized storytelling. The show joins a summer lineup that includes returning genre players and high-concept originals aimed at the comic-con crowd.
Revival begins its regular run Thursday, June 12 at 10 PM ET.
