Creepshow Showrunner Reveals He Wanted One Episode to Be a Prequel to Original Movie

The first episode of Shudder's Creepshow series is now available on the streaming service, confirming that the opening sequence draws direct inspiration from the original 1982 film, but executive producer Greg Nicotero admitted that he originally envisioned telling a prequel story in the series that would have elaborated on that film's "The Crate" segment. The six-episode first season depicts 12 all-new stories, but given how excited horror fans have been about the series' debut, we won't be surprised if it gets renewed for a second season, possibly allowing Nicotero to tell the prequel of the story. Creepshow is now available on Shudder.

"At one point, I was hoping to do a prequel to 'The Crate,' where you see them on the Arctic expedition capturing Fluffy," Nicotero revealed during a Reddit AMA. "But it's a little more complicated than that regarding the rights to the stories."

In that segment, a janitor discovers a mysterious crate which has seemingly been undisturbed for a century, reportedly having been the findings of an Arctic expedition. Once opened, a terrifying beast emerges, consuming every human it encounters, allowing a man fed up with his wife to commit a seemingly perfect crime.

While the new series might not feature a direct connection to the film, directed by George Romero and written by Stephen King, there are a number of Easter eggs that honor the source material. For example, the original movie was composed of multiple, unrelated vignettes, yet each one featured an appearance from a specific ashtray. In the new series, the memorable ashtray appears in every segment of each episode.

More than just an opportunity to cash in on a popular brand, the project is clearly a labor of love for Nicotero, as working on Romero projects Day of the Dead and Tales from the Darkside were some of his first professional gigs. The producer previously pointed out how the new series aims to recapture the spirit of the original while not replicating its narrative.

"It's not a reboot, it's not a retelling," Nicotero previously clarified. "George [Romero] and Steve [King] were so ahead of their time, because of their love for EC Comics. The shit that I love, it's the same stuff that we all love. It's Jaws, and Dawn of the Dead, and Salem's Lot. The stuff that I could watch or read a hundred times. And now we have Creepshow — it comes, for me, from a place of love. I love this stuff so much. We're all here for the same reason, and I'm grateful for the fans that support this."

The first episode of Creepshow is now streaming on Shudder.

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