TNT has officially given a 10-episode order to M. Night Shyamalan‘s reboot of “Tales From the Crypt,” the network announced Thursday.
The anthology series based on the original EC Comics property will be hosted by a newly reinvented Crypt Keeper. Shyamalan is executive producing along with his partner at Blinding Edge Pictures, Ashwin Rajan. Endgame’s James Stern, Aloris Entertainment’s John Santilli and Dan McKinnon will also executive produce.
In addition, Shyamalan will produce the IM Global series “Time of Death” for a new TNT horror programming block. The network has also begun development on the Naegle Ink series “Creatures.”
“I’m really thrilled about the way this horror block is coming together with the addition of ‘Time of Death’ and ‘Creatures,’” said Shyamalan. “That such a beloved property like ‘Tales From the Crypt’ is launching our evening makes it an even more unique and exciting opportunity. Across the board, the level of talent has been very inspiring.”
“Time of Death” is planned as an anthology series with each season taking viewers hour-by-hour through a single “long night of hell.”
The first season will follow a murderous psychopath who returns to his Midwestern hometown during the annual county fair to exact revenge on a community he believes destroyed his life. The pilot is written by Guy Busick and newcomer R. Christopher Murphy, with Shyamalan and IM Global Television’s Mark Stern and IM Global Founder and CEO Stuart Ford serving as executive producers.
While the first season of “Time of Death” will pay tribute to the great slasher films of the 1980s, future seasons will be inspired by the traditions of other horror subgenres.
“Creatures” is a psychological thriller that tells the tale of two former best friends who, at 12 years old, tried to cut out their classmate’s heart as a sacrifice to an Internet bogeyman they invented called Mr. Gorgi.
Fifteen years later, the two young women have been released from a psychiatric institute into their small Alaskan town, but it’s not long before they start to feel the alluring and terrifying presence of Mr. Gorgi once again. The storyline bears a striking resemblance to the real-life tale of two Wisconsin girls who tried to kill a classmate to please Internet creation Slender Man.
“Creatures” is being written by BAFTA Award winner Dominic Mitchell and produced by Sue Naegle’s Naegle Ink. Tom Shankland is attached to direct and serve as executive producer.
The entire horror block is due to premiere in 2017.