It may not be a new movie, but the horror master himself John Carpenter has revealed that he returned to the director’s chair recently to work on a new show called Suburban Screams. What’s more, the man behind such classics as Halloween and The Fog didn’t even have to leave his house to get the job done, as he directed the show from his very own couch. So, in this case, the director’s chair was more of a sofa. It also doesn’t sound like Carpenter missed being on set, as he was very complimentary of the experience.
Carpenter shared the news during a Q&A at Texas Frightmare Weekend, which was shared on YouTube by Robert Sommerfield. It has been well over a decade since the filmmaker has been behind the camera for a feature film, so fans are certainly hungry for him to do more. Well, he’s done more, which can only be a good thing, but like the king he is, opted not to travel abroad to get the job done. Instead, he used technology to do his thing without leaving his house. Here’s what he had to say about it:
"I just finished directing, remotely, a TV series called Suburban Screams - John Carpenter's Suburban Screams. You guys have gotta watch it. It was shot in Prague and I sat on my couch and directed it. It was awesome."
While Carpenter has many classics under his belt, including The Thing and Escape from New York, he hasn’t directed a movie since 2010’s The Ward. Speaking of The Thing, he also teased a possible sequel at that same event. In any case, he’s mostly stuck to making music and occasionally producing stuff, such as the most recent Halloween trilogy for Blumhouse. The last time he directed anything was a Christine music video several years back. So, even though it was done on a couch, having him direct a TV show is a pretty big deal.
For what it’s worth, Carpenter has teased a possible return to directing more recently, though he still largely seems like he could take it or leave it. But who knows? If he truly had a good experience making this show, maybe it will convince him to get back out there and make a movie. Perhaps that’s just wishful thinking but stranger things have happened.
No word yet on when or where you’ll be able to see Suburban Screams, but stay tuned as we’ll likely be hearing more about the show sooner rather than later.
