Eli Roth’s Hostel Becoming TV Series Starring Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti is headed back to television. On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Giamatti is lined up to star in a television adaptation of Eli Roth’s horror franchise Hostel. The Hostel series is being co-written by Roth and Chris Briggs, both of whom will executive produce alongside Mike Fleiss. It is being described as a “modern adaptation” and “reinvention” of the “elevated thriller” franchise. 

Although the Hostel project remains in development and does not have a platform or network attached, Giamatti is set to star in a major but unknown role. In a 2013 interview, Giamatti revealed that he was actually set to appear in the first Hostel film, after meeting Roth during the production.

“Eli was shooting Hostel in Prague and I was shooting The Illusionist and I met him,” Giamatti told Entertainment Weekly in 2013. “We talked about me actually killing somebody in that movie but it never panned out.”

What Is Hostel About?

2005’s Hostel revolved around three backpackers as they headed to a Slovak city that promised to meet their hedonistic expectations, with no idea of the hell that awaited them. The film starred Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eyþór Guðjónsson, and Barbara Nedeljáková. Roth directed both Hostel and 2007’s Hostel: Part II. A third film, 2011’s Hostel: Part III, was directed by Scott Spiegel and was released directly on DVD. 

“Hostel, there’s a lot more to do,” Roth previously told CinePOP about the prospect of returning for a sequel. “I’d love to go back to Hostel at some point. And Cabin Fever, as well. They’re a part of me. They’re like my children. I feel like I’ve ignored them for too long. And I’d love to go back to them in some way. I have ideas.”

What Are Paul Giamatti’s Next Roles?

After earning critical acclaim for his performance in 2023’s The Holdovers, Giamatti’s future projects include a new Downton Abbey movie. Giamatti has also advocated for joining the world of James Bond, but only as a villain.

“I’d want an accent of some kind. I’d definitely want an accent. It’d be nice to have an animal with me of some kind,” Giamatti admitted to GQ. “Not necessarily a cat, but something. Any animal, maybe. Not a parrot or something. Something real. I don’t know. An accent, though, of some kind I’d have to have. A guy who’s all in fur coats and stuff like that? Be great.”