Production is underway on Shudder's "Creepshow," a new series based on George A. Romero and Stephen King's iconic 1982 horror anthology. We recently learned that Greg Nicotero is directing an adaptation of King's story "Gray Matter" for the series, and Tom Savini has just announced that he's wrapped up production on an episode as well!
Savini is no stranger to Creepshow, having created the special effects for the original film and playing the Creep in its sequel. He teased the episode to the crowd at Monsterpalooza over the weekend.
“I just directed an episode of the Creepshow television series,” Savini revealed. “There’s twelve [stories] altogether – each show will have two episodes in it. Mine’s a combination of Stand By Me, The Fog and Jurassic Park. It’s really something.”
Savini added, “It’ll be like the movie with comic book pages turning and boxes…scary things.”
He also announced that the adaptation he directed is an adaptation of Joe Hill’s story “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain”!
In the episode, “Little Gail London and her friend Joel Quarrel are out on a cold and lonely morning at the end of summer, when they make the find of the century: a dead plesiosaur, the size of a two-ton truck, washed up on the sand. With the fog swirling about them, they make their plans, fight to defend their discovery, and face for the first time the enormity of mortality itself… all unaware of what else might be out there in the silver water of Lake Champlain.”
Shudder has now confirmed eight of the twelve segments (including the two mentioned above) that will make up Creepshow’ s six-episode season. Previously announced segments include:
“House of the Head” by Josh Malerman (Bird Box)
“The Companion” by Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale, & Keith Lansdale
“The Man in the Suitcase” by Christopher Buehlman
“All Hallows Eve” by Bruce Jones
“Night of the Paw” by John Esposito
“Bad Wolf Down” by Rob Schrab
“Having the opportunity to embrace the spirit of Creepshow and expand on what George and Steve created is, without a doubt, a lifelong dream come true,” said executive producer Greg Nicotero. “Having grown up in Pittsburgh, Creepshow lives in a special place for me. I had the good fortune to visit the set as a teenager. I was able to look behind the curtain of filmmaking, and it changed me forever. I’m honored to continue telling the stories in the ‘comic book come to life’ world that fans fell in love with. This fall we will be ‘opening the coffin’ and unleashing upon the world our demented and ghastly stories, crafted by the best in business.”
In addition to his EP duties, Nicotero will direct some of the series. Other installments will be helmed by David Bruckner, director of the acclaimed horror film The Ritual; Roxanne Benjamin, director of segments of Southbound and XX; and Rob Schrab, whose numerous TV directing credits include "Ghosted" and "Community." John Harrison, who was the first assistant director for George Romero on the original Creepshow movie (and who also composed the film’s theme), will be directing a story he co-wrote with Nicotero.
Nicotero’s Oscar and multiple Emmy award-winning company, KNB EFX GROUP Inc., will be handling Creature and Make-Up Effects for the series.
"Creepshow" will premiere on Shudder later this year.
