TNT Officially Greenlights Tales From The Crypt 10-Episode Series and Orders Time of Death (working title) Pilot from IM Global Television For Tales from the Crypt Horror Block Naegle Ink's Creatures Also in Development Plus: A Reinvented Crypt Keeper TNT, a division of
Turner, and
M. Night Shyamalan are ramping up TNT's new
Tales from the Crypt horror block. The network has officially greenlit an initial 10-episode order of the fan favorite
Tales from the Crypt anthology series, based on the original
EC Comics. The anthology series will be at the center of each week's chilling lineup, guided by a newly reinvented
Crypt Keeper, one of the most popular characters in the
Tales from the Crypt universe. TNT's new
Tales from the Crypt horror block is now slated to launch in 2017.
In building the horror block, TNT has ordered a pilot for
Time of Death (working title), a seasonal anthology series from
IM Global Television. TNT has also begun development on
Creatures, from
Naegle Ink.
"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 of season-long horror tales that unfold in real time – each one 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 for
Time of Death is written by
Guy Busick (
Watch Over Me) 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.
"We couldn't be more excited to be in business with Night and TNT," said Stern. "Their enthusiasm for the pilot script has been obvious from the outset, and their
Tales from the Crypt block is the perfect home."
Another
Tales project now in development is
Creatures, a sophisticated psychological thriller that tells the disturbing 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 town in Alaska, but it's not long before they start to feel the alluring and terrifying presence of Mr. Gorgi once again.
Creatures is a story of deep friendship and dark obsession, where a vivid imagination meets the power of suggestion and the seduction of belief.
Creatures is being written by BAFTA Award winner
Dominic Mitchell (
In the Flesh) and produced by
Sue Naegle's Naegle Ink.
Tom Shankland (
House of Cards,
The Missing) is attached to direct and serve as executive producer.
In January, TNT announced that it is teaming up with Shyamalan on this new horror block of terror and suspense to be curated by the Oscar®-nominated writer-director of
The Sixth Sense,
Signs and
Unbreakable, and executive producer of the hit series
Wayward Pines. The block will feature both short and long-form storytelling, led by the
Tales from the Crypt anthology series, which is executive-produced by Shyamalan, his partner at
Blinding Edge Pictures,
Ashwin Rajan;
Endgame's James Stern; and
Aloris Entertainment's John Santilli and Dan McKinnon.
Over the past several months, TNT's development and production pipeline has seen a flurry of activity. The network recently ordered a pilot for
CLAWS, an hour-long scripted dramedy set in a Southern Florida nail salon, which is being executive-produced by
Rashida Jones and
Will McCormack. This summer, TNT will launch the eagerly anticipated drama
Animal Kingdom, starring
Ellen Barkin,
Scott Speedman and
Shawn Hatosy. It will be followed later in the year by the seductive thriller
Good Behavior, starring
Michelle Dockery. Also in the works is TNT's high-profile adaptation of
The Alienist.
About IM Global Television IM Global Television is a full-service television studio that develops, finances, produces, and distributes high-quality scripted dramas for the domestic and international marketplace, with a focus on “genre” programming such as science-fiction, fantasy/supernatural, and thriller, as well as unscripted content. Led by industry veteran President Mark Stern and President of International Distribution and Co-Productions Eli Shibley, IM Global Television has been created with a deep well of experience in television development and production, an innovative business approach, and a solid financial foundation. These assets make IM Global Television uniquely able to team with top-tier creative talent to deliver creative, bold and compelling programming.
About TNT TNT, a division of
Turner, is one of cable's top-rated networks. Seen across multiple platforms in 94 million households, TNT is home to such original drama series as
The Last Ship,
The Librarians,
Major Crimes,
Murder in the First,
Rizzoli & Isles and the upcoming
Animal Kingdom,
Good Behavior and
The Alienist, along with a new horror block featuring
Tales from the Crypt. TNT is also the c able home to popular dramas like
Castle,
Bones,
Supernatural and
Grimm; primetime specials, such as the
Screen Actors Guild Awards®, the
Live Nation Music Awards and the
iHeartRadio Music Awards; and championship sports coverage, including the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
Turner, a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, sports, animation and young adult multi-platform content for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International and CNN.com, TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, Turner Sports, Bleacher Report, iStream Planet and ELEAGUE.
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