A recent proposal pitched giving 13 Ghosts the series treatment with a (fittingly) 13-episode run. This new iteration is being described as a "dramatic horror series, with an ensemble cast" expanding upon the lore we're familiar with from William Castle's franchise. Each episode will be dedicated to an origin story of one of the titular 13 ghosts, drawing from "an international sampling" of supernatural tales. Each of these back stories would act as a throughline intertwined with the legacy of Cyrus Kriticos and his present-day descendants, who have recently inherited and become caretakers of the Kriticos Compound. Of course, they're getting more than they bargained for, as the compound is home to terrifying entities and family secrets.
"The Dark Zodiac" concept was introduced in the 2001 remake, the series seeks to take this idea and expand it into world-building mythology, while also paying homage to Castle's original, with some arcs to meld it into the modern world. There's even talk of incorporating an Augmented Reality tie-in app, a nod to the original Ghost Viewer glasses from the William Castle era.
The Producers at Primordial Pictures, Aaron McLane, Patrick Mediate, and Ashley Robinson shared some more in-depth insights as to where they hope to take the story, and their pitch deck with us. Take a look.
“As many who have seen the 2001 version of the film know, the ghosts’ energies are rooted in the mythos of a Dark Zodiac, a more sinister counterpart to the astrological zodiac that we’re all accustomed to. We felt that the ghosts’ stories and their astrological tie-ins through this dark zodiac were a fantastic opportunity to examine and mirror our society’s current fears and anxieties, and in turn, make 13 Ghosts as relevant and impactful a property as ever.”
“Our updated version of the Dark Zodiac uses the real themes of modern-day astrology to weave symbolism and thematic elements into each episode. This will undoubtedly resonate with anyone who has ever read their horoscope and help us play on cohesive themes throughout our intertwining stories. This astrological angle will undoubtedly connect with audiences across a broad spectrum of backgrounds and touch on a wide range of human (and inhuman) emotions.”
Proposed Family Tree concept art
“For our concept, we felt it important to really break down and present our characters in a family tree format. This allowed us to come to new conclusions about potential characters who may not have been included in the original two iterations of the property. Characters who may have had an influence on the pasts of the main characters that fans of the original films have all come to know and love.
“When it came to Cyrus’ character, we all overwhelmingly felt that he was the heart and soul of the series. He’s really a Logan Roy-type character. We wanted to tell the story of what led him to become a “poacher” of souls, so to speak. What hurt this man so much in his past that would force him to open a portal to the afterlife in order to get it back, all while using and manipulating his extended family as pawns in the process. We wanted to explore his motivations through an epic parallel narrative that follows him from childhood all the way through to his death...and beyond.”
“This series doesn’t just have incredibly scary moments, but extremely touching and emotional ones as well that are explored through deeply complex characters under the influence of intense physical and paranormal forces at their every turn.
“Every gear in the machine that is this series has an exclusive function, and when all of them turn together, they unravel twists and turns that audiences won’t see coming. As fans ourselves, we made it our goal to attempt to stay as true to the source material as possible while keeping audiences guessing through an experience that, no matter how familiar you are with the source material, still feels uniquely fresh and original.
“We can’t stress enough that although the incredible team at Dark Castle Entertainment stands behind our vision as one that they feel best represents the authenticity and fabric of this crown jewel in their library, Sony Pictures Television still has a portion of the rights and the series cannot be officially greenlit without their support. The fate of this series becoming a reality lies completely in their hands.”
Well, we certainly hope Sony gives their blessing because we'd love to see where Dark Castle and the producers plan to take this story. We'll keep you posted on new developments.
