Shudder, AMC's all-horror streaming service, has announced the start of production on the second season of Creepshow, its popular horror anthology series. AMC has promised in a release that "the show is following all safety guidelines and protocols in accordance with SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, TEAMSTERS, CDC and state and local guidance," which makes it one of the few TV productions to start filming in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Greg Nicotero, who's directed over 30 episodes of AMC's The Walking Dead, returns as the executive producer and showrunner on season two of Creepshow. Nicotero, who got his start in film production as a special effects assistant under horror legends George Romero and Tom Savini, will direct at least four short stories in Creepshow's second season. Reportedly, Nicotero has been champing at the bit to start work on Creepshow since at least last April, following its second-season renewal last October.
If Creepshow keeps the same format as its first season, each episode will consist of two short segments, three of which have been announced so far. "Shapeshifters Anonymous," based on a short story by J.A. Konrath and written by Nicotero, stars Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) and Adam Pally (The Mindy Project), who suddenly end up needing a support group for werewolves. "Pesticide," written by Frank Dietz, stars Keith David (They Live, Mass Effect), Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser), and Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead) in a story about an exterminator who makes a deal with the devil. "Model Kid," written by John Esposito (returning from the first season), features a 12-year-old boy who escapes from his unhappy home life by hand-building model kits.
Creepshow, a Shudder exclusive, was the best-reviewed new horror series of 2019, according to AMC, following its debut last October. Craig Engler, Shudder's General Manager, said in a press release that Creepshow "was a monster hit for us, setting viewership records across the board." It currently features a 97% critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.
The series is based on and named after George Romero's 1982 horror anthology feature film, which was also Stephen King's screenwriting debut. The modern Creepshow series shares only its name, anthology format, and framing device with the original Creepshow and its 1985 sequel; both are intended as tributes to the gruesome horror comics of the '50s, such as Tales From the Crypt. In Creepshow's case, each episode is narrated by the Creep, who went from a creepy old man in the '80s to an undead abomination now. Another throughline between the film and series is Joe Hill (NOS4A2), who played Bobby in the first Creepshow and wrote a segment in the show's first season.
While both Creepshow films were heavily based on King's work, to the point where he stars in a segment in the first film, the show is significantly less indebted to him. At time of writing, King is completely uninvolved with the second season, possibly owing to his involvement with the upcoming remake of The Stand; however, the first season of Creepshow was originally slated to feature an adaptation of King's story Survivor Type, which seemingly ended up on the cutting-room floor. Survivor Type, about a surgeon who survives a plane crash and has to make some bad life choices in pursuit of food, has long been thought to be totally unfilmable, but Nicotero took a swing last year. It's possible it may end up in season two of Creepshow instead.
Creepshow's second season is currently filming in Atlanta, Georgia, with a planned release date in 2021.
Source: Shudder