Blumhouse TV has inked a deal to adapt The Battersea Poltergeist, a podcast ostensibly based on a true haunting, for both scripted fiction and a companion unscripted show. Blumhouse chief Chris McCumber, formerly of NBCUniversal’s USA and Syfy brands, is banking big on the podcast, with the scripted series being a literaly brand-builder with the title Blumhouse’s Ghost Story. The bidding for Battersea, which was written by Danny Robbins, was competitive, and the winning bid also includes the life rights to Shirley Hitchings’s story. Hitchings and James Clark wrote The Poltergeist Prince of London: The Remarkable True Story of the Battersea Poltergeist, which was obviously a huge influence on the podcast.
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There is no word yet on what the unscripted companion series will be, or what its title is, but it seems logical that it will explore the same material from a more critical, journalistic eye, looking more at Hitchings’s story rather than focusing on the more dynamic narrative of the podcast.
“From our first listen to Danny’s captivating podcast, we were hooked and could easily envision how to bring the story to life — in both scripted and unscripted formats — for television viewers,” said McCumber in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, who broke the story. “We’re grateful to Michael Seitzman for identifying the project early on, and championing it so aggressively.”
Blumhouse and Micahel Seitzman’s Maniac Productions will share the rights to BBC Radio 4’s podcast, with BBC also having a hand in the production. THR‘s story suggests that the two companies hope to launch an anthology franchise that looks at various ghost stories, effectively making Blumhouse’s Ghost Story their version of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story brand. Robins, Seitzman, Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold and McCumber will executive produce both series, with Emma Cooper on board the unscripted series.
Robins’s Battersea Poltergeist podcast reached millions of listeners per month, documenting an alleged haunting around Hitchings in 1956, which were investigated over a 12-year period, making it the longest documented poltergeist haunting in history.
“It’s been an amazing journey making the podcast for the BBC and now I couldn’t have hoped for a better partner than Blumhouse, a leader in the genre, when looking to further develop it,” said Robins. “I’m thrilled to work with them and Michael to bring the series to life visually. Ghost stories don’t get stranger or scarier than this.”
There is no specific date targeted for production to begin yet, but the THR story suggests this is a high priority for both Blumhouse and Maniac Productions.
