Surfing the wave of their successful special Joe Bob Briggs The Last Drive-In, Shudder has officially greenlit a new horror series.
Creepshow is set to premiere on the streaming horror platform in 2019. At the helm of the upcoming series will be horror special-effects and makeup legend Gregory Nicotero.
Nicotero is famous for having worked on numerous horror films and television series in the past, and also has done plenty of notable work outside the genre, including Quentin Tarantino hits like The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained . Some of his more notable horror works have included the AMC smash-hit The Walking Dead , Hostel, Hostel: Part II , Evil Dead II , Day of the Dead , Scream , and Misery , among numerous other horror classics.
AMC is also the parent company of Shudder, which moves the company into a position of being able to put out uncensored horror series with the ability to depict as much gore and over-the-top horror violence as they see fit, a move which could be extremely appealing to horror audiences thirsty for more zombie violence in The Walking Dead.
EW recently reported that Nicotero appeared to be notably excited to take on the series in reviving source material that is considered sacred by horror fans across the world. Nicotero assures audiences that Creepshow is a project near and dear to his heart as well.
“Creepshow is a project very close to my heart! It is one of those titles that embraces the true spirit of horror… thrills and chills celebrated in one of its truest art forms, the comic book come to life! I’m honored to continue the tradition in the ‘spirit’ which it was created.”
Nicotero was a protege of sorts to Tom Savini, a special effects and makeup horror icon who was responsible for the effects seen in Dawn of the Dead , Friday the 13th , and the original Creepshow released in the year 1982.
Shudder’s General Manager Craig Engler is also anticipating the debut of Creepshow to the streaming lineup, expressing his faith in effects master Greg Nicotero to turn out results that will keep horror fans enthusiastic about both Shudder and the horror genre in general, which is thriving not just on Shudder but at the box office as well.
“Creepshow is one of the most beloved and iconic horror anthologies from two masters of the genre, George A. Romero and Stephen King… We’re thrilled to continue their legacy with another master of horror, Greg Nicotero, as we bring a new Creepshow TV series exclusively to Shudder members.”
The original Creepshow was a collaboration between masters of horror Stephen King and George Romero. The 1982 film starred Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, Ed Harris, Stephen King, and numerous other stars. It received a sequel in 1987 titled Creepshow 2, which was also received positively by horror audiences.
Creepshow III was released in 2006 and did not feature any involvement from the original creators of the first two films, and was critically panned, while horror fans mostly skipped it.
With horror-familiar Greg Nicotero at the helm, horror fans have taken to Twitter to express much excitement for the upcoming project, suggesting the Creepshow franchise didn’t end on the decidedly negative note of Creepshow III after all.
