The Poltergeist franchise is heading back to the small screen.
Variety has reported that a new Poltergeist television series is now in early development at Amazon MGM Studios. As the project is still coming together, a writer hasn’t yet signed on, but Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will be serving as executive producers for Amblin Television. The new show is said to be set in the same world as the original film rather than a complete reboot or reimagining, but no additional plot details have yet been divulged. It’s one of many hit films from MGM’s IP library that Amazon has been mining for new TV shows, joining other titles like RoboCop, Barbershop, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
Released in 1982, the original Poltergeist movie still stands tall as one of the most celebrated horror films of all time. Steven Spielberg crafted the story and served as a producer while Tobe Hooper directed. The film follows a family whose home is targeted by sinister spirits. The film was a huge success, scoring more than $127 million (in 1982 money) against a budget of less than $11 million. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards.
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With that kind of success, Poltergeist was later given two sequels, released in 1986 and 1988. In 2015, it was rebooted with an all-new film, though none of these were as revered as the original. From 1996 to 1999, there was also a TV series adaptation, Poltergeist: The Legacy, which ran for four seasons on Showtime.
A release date hasn’t yet been announced for the new Poltergeist series.