Jordan Peele Developing Reboot of Prank Show Scare Tactics

Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions will put their spin on the concept.

By Patrick Cavanaugh

While some prank shows put unsuspecting victims in situations in which they are uncomfortable though not necessarily in fear for their life, Scare Tactics instead embraced a much more frightening set of situations, which is exactly why Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions are going to revive the series that premiered in 2003. The original series enlisted a number of scenarios and special effects makeups to amplify the unsettling nature of these situations, which quickly made it a fan-favorite series as compared to similar prank shows. The original Scare Tactics aired on SYFY and ran for five seasons between 2003 and 2013.

"We're so grateful at Monkeypaw to help reimagine one of our all-time favorite hidden camera shows," Win Rosenfeld, the president of Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, shared in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. "Working with showrunner Elan Gale, one of the most creative and mischievous minds in unscripted television, and Scott Hallock, the brilliant creator of the original Scare Tactics, has been an absolute blast. It's cathartic and hilarious to watch people get a little scared, and the scenarios we cooked up for this season are really wild. We can't wait to share a little light-hearted schadenfreude with audiences soon."

The series is described, "Scare Tactics will turn unsuspecting individuals into the main characters of their very own horror movies. This heart-pounding show offers a cinematic approach to the hidden camera concept. Set up by their friends and family, these unwitting participants are put in hilariously twisted scenarios with fully immersive stories that blur the lines of reality, horror, and comedy. As they navigate one unreal decision after another, audiences will laugh, jump, and be left breathless for more."

The original series saw victims be terrified by all manner of monster, whether they be aliens, mutants, Bigfoot, or masked murderers. 

"Reimagining Scare Tactics with Jordan, Monkeypaw, and UTAS has been a dream come true," creator Hallock added. "Fans have been asking us to bring Scare Tactics back for years, and working with this team was an amazing opportunity."

"As one of the most visionary creators of the day, there is nothing Jordan Peele can't do. We're honored to be making our first unscripted series together," Corie Henson, EVP, Unscripted Content, NBCUniversal Entertainment, continued. "This brilliant reimagining of the classic Scare Tactics has it all – laughs, jump scares, and outrageous moments. In the hands of Jordan and Monkeypaw, you never know what's coming next."   

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Stay tuned for updates on Scare Tactics before it airs on USA.

Are you looking forward to the series coming back? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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