‘The Twilight Zone’ Reboot Teaser Confirms Jordan Peele Will Host

After months of speculation about whether or not Jordan Peele would take on hosting duties for the reboot of The Twilight Zone he was developing, the filmmaker confirmed he would follow in Rod Serling’s footsteps to both host and narrate the new iteration of the series. Get a taste of Peele’s skills in the teaser below.

“Rod Serling was an uncompromising visionary who not only shed light on social issues of his time, but prophesied issues of ours,” Peele shared of his new duties with The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m honored to carry on his legacy to a new generation of audiences as the gatekeeper of The Twilight Zone.”

The announcement that Peele would be reviving the series came as a no-brainer, as last year’s Get Out, which Peele wrote and directed, became one of the biggest hits of the year. That film’s blend of societal horrors and comedy marks a similar tone to what Serling accomplished with his series, as each episode typically offered a morality lesson for its protagonist.

Production on the series is set to begin in the coming months with a 2019 premiere date on CBS’s streaming platform.

Peele’s breakout series was Comedy Central’s Key and Peele, co-starring Keegan Michael-Key, which opened up a variety of comedic opportunities for both performers. While Get Out was undeniably a horror film, there were still countless laughs enjoyed by audiences throughout. The actor was previously apprehensive about taking on the hosting duties and that people familiar with his comedic work wouldn’t take this Twilight Zone seriously.

“I was terrified,” Peele previously shared with Variety. “Why would I ever jump into the most established, pristine shoes in all of the genre? I could rip Twilight Zone off and call it something different and not be compared to Rod Serling. So I stepped away from it. And then several months later I got another call.”

The other call came from producing partner Simon Kinberg.

“The realization, for me, was that it was an opportunity to attempt to continue with Serling’s mission,” Peele admitted. “If we approach it without ego and sort of bow to Serling, that will hopefully suffice for our fellow Twilight Zone fans but also bring back a show that I think is needed right now. Because it’s a show that has always helped us look at ourselves, hold a mirror up to society.”

Stay tuned for details about The Twilight Zone before it debuts in 2019.

Are you happy to see Peele hosting? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

[H/T The Hollywood Reporter]