Kilter Films, the studio behind heavy-hitting series like Westworld and Person of Interest, has something a bit more harrowing in the works now. Horror filmmakers Craig Macneill and Clay Chapman have teamed up with the production company run by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy in order to bring a brand new horror series to the small screen, and it looks like a fascinating new entry in the genre.
The show, called Unknown, appears to be the biggest new project coming from Kilter Films next to their upcoming Fallout TV series, which is being produced in coordination with Bethesda Studios. Like the Fallout series, this new horror story will release through Amazon, promising a substantial audience right from the beginning. Macneill and Chapman already have a proven grasp of horror, and Unknown seems like it will live up to the reputation they've built.
Focusing on themes like folklore and true crime, Unknown will feature an anthology-style structure similar to series like American Horror Story and its upcoming creatively titled spinoff, American Horror Stories. To start with, the first season is set to focus on an estranged brother and sister who grew up around the infamous Texas Killing Fields. Upon their return after a number of years to the favored murder victim dumping ground, they discover a horrifying presence lurking about. Who would have thought an evil spirit would see fit to hang around a bunch of corpses?
While Nolan and Joy's Kilter Films is already a well-established name in entertainment, Macneill and Chapman have earned some accolades of their own. Their main claim to fame stemmed from 2015's The Boy, a rather under-the-radar indie horror film starring the likes of Jared Breeze, David Morse, and even The Office's Rainn Wilson. Directed by Macneill, the film centered on a young boy who turns out to be a budding serial killer, in a story based on a book originally written by Chapman. Both Macneill and Chapman wrote the script for the movie as well.
It's difficult to know what audiences should expect from Unknown. Aside from the basic premise and substantial talent behind the wheel, not much is currently known about it. Though to be fair, in a world where binging is quickly becoming the preferred method of media consumption for many, perhaps another anthology series will mesh well with the entertainment landscape of today.
One thing's for sure, though. Between Fallout, an upcoming adaptation of Michael Crichton's Sphere, and now this, the team behind Unknown has their work cut out for them. Maybe they can unwind by watching something a little more light-hearted, like The Boys.
Source: Deadline