Poltergeist TV Series in the Works at Amazon

Amazon’s acquisition of MGM resulted in Amazon Studios being able to revive a number of beloved properties, with Variety confirming today that the studio is officially moving forward with a TV series revival of Poltergeist. There are currently no confirmed filmmakers attached to the project, nor are there any details about the series’ plot, though Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are on board to serve as executive producers. The property was previously connected to Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo, who had spent years hoping to revive the premise in some capacity, though he doesn’t appear to be attached to this revival. Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Poltergeist franchise.

The original 1982 Poltergeist was developed by Steven Spielberg and was directed by Tobe Hooper, which told the story of a family that was seemingly targeted by otherworldly spirits, resulting in the disappearance of their young daughter Carol Anne. A group of paranormal investigators came to the family’s rescue, which also came with the reveal that their idyllic suburban community had been built on top of an ancient burial ground.

The 1982 film earned two direct sequels, while Showtime developed the TV series Poltergeist: The Legacy in the ’90s, which earned four seasons. That series focused on the investigators who came to the aid of families in need. In 2015, Gil Kenan helped an official big-screen reboot of the concept.

Poltergeist serves as a seminal example of the haunted house genre, with its legacy still looming large today. The partnership between two iconic storytellers in the genre proved to be a powerful combination, with the project also nearly seeing Hooper and Spielberg joined by iconic author Stephen King.

“It didn’t work out because it was before the internet and we had a communication breakdown,” King previously shared with Entertainment Weekly. “I was on a ship going across the Atlantic to En­gland.”

Spielberg confirmed this anecdote, admitting, “I wanted him to help me out with the script and sort of write it with me, but he was unavailable.”

This also marks the latest announcement of an iconic horror franchise pivoting to TV, as it was confirmed earlier this month that Halloween was earning a TV revival. 

Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Poltergeist franchise.

Are you looking forward to the reboot? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!