A new sneak peek image of The Creep from Shudder's Creepshow series has been released, in addition to the announcements of new names in the cast. Adrienne Barbeau has been confirmed to play a role in the pilot episode, returning to the series after starring in the original movie. Saw franchise star Tobin Bell will also appear in the episode alongside Barbeau. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul star Giancarlo Esposito has also been confirmed for the pilot. Called "Gray Matter," the episode is based on a Stephen King short story and will be directed by Greg Nicotero. Shudder has also released an image of Esposito in character along with the new image of Creepshow's mascot.
In the Stephen King short story adaptation Gray Matter directed by Greg Nicotero, Doc and Chief, two old-timers in a small, dying town, brave a storm to check on Richie, an alcoholic single father, after encountering his terrified son at the local convenience store. The story, first published in 1973, is part of King's best-selling 1978 collection, Night Shift.
Greg Nicotero had this to say about the upcoming series and working on this particularly important episode.
"I feel I'm in great company getting the opportunity to direct a story written by Steve. Between Salem's Lot, Pet Sematary and The Stand, I've always found his stories rich in relatable characters forced into supernatural situations beyond their control-the everyday person's primal fears. To visualize 'Gray Matter' for Creepshow with the help of Adrienne, Giancarlo and Tobin was about as good as it gets for a horror fan from Pittsburgh!"
Adrienne Barbeau was featured in the original Creepshow movie, starring in the short 'The Crate', which is perhaps the best rememeberd segment from the 1982 anthology. She played Wilma Northrup in that thick slice of pure horror, and is quite happy to be returning to her horror roots. Barbeau is also the host of the Shudder Original podcast She Kills, and it was announced earlier this year that she will also be returning to play a role in the new Swamp Thing series for DC Universe streaming. About coming back for Creepshow, she says this.
"I was thrilled when Greg asked me to join the Creepshow world once again. And then working with Tobin and Giancarlo, with Greg as our director, well, that was the icing on the cake - no, not that cake. Oh, you know what I mean."
Directed by George A. Romero using a screenplay from Stephen King, the original Creepshow was released in 1982. The anthology horror movie told several different scary stories, each with a unique twist. Several big name actors appeared in the movie as well, including Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, Fritz Weaver, and Ted Danson. The 1987 sequel was directed by Michael Gornick, but still used a script written by Romero, presenting three new horror stories. The direct-to-video sequel Creepshow 3 was released in 2007, but King nor Romero were involved with the movie. Because that installment garnered mostly negative reviews, bringing the series back to its roots is what's best for Creepshow moving forward, and Shudder fortunately seems to realize this.
Greg Nicotero's history with Creepshow dates all the way back to the original movie. As a teenager, Nicotero had actually visited the set, and the experience contributed to his interest in pursuing a career in horror. He later worked on the FX for the official sequel in 1987, Creepshow 2. Everything is now coming full circle for Nicotero, as he returns to the franchise that helped him get his foot in the door. As his impressive career in the field speaks for itself, it seems the series is in good hands with Nicotero.
The premiere season for Creepshow will consist of six episodes, with each installment featuring two separate stories. So far, eight of the stories have been confirmed by Shudder as a part of the season. Other stories we can expect to see are "By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain" by Joe Hill (NOS4A2), "House of the Head" by Josh Malerman (Bird Box), "The Companion" by Joe Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep), "The Man in the Suitcase" by Christopher Buehlman, "All Hallows Eve" by Bruce Jones, "Night of the Paw" by John Esposito, and "Bad Wolf Down" by Rob Schrab. More titles are expected to soon be made available.
Creepshow is reportedly scheduled to wrap this week, with production currently under way in Atlanta, Georgia. The series will then be available to stream on Shudder sometime this year, although an official release date has not yet been revealed. All of the right ingredients are here to make this anthology revival successful, and hopefully it will be as good as it has the potential to be. While we wait patiently for Shudder to drop Creepshow later this year, here's a fresh look at The Creep. This information comes to us from Collider.
