The director of Gravity and one of the Harry Potter films is joining forces with the lead actor from Manchester By The Sea and A Ghost Story, and they’re hoping to scare TV viewers this time. Alfonso Cuarón and Casey Affleck are developing a new drama series which has definite leanings towards the horror genre, and apparently a number of networks are excited by it and showing plenty of interest.
Cuarón is the respected Mexican writer and director of many critically acclaimed productions, including Gravity of course which earned him an Oscar for Best Director. He also directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (arguably one of the best entries in the franchise) and the highly regarded apocalyptic science fiction thriller Children of Men, which he also wrote. Affleck recently earned an Oscar for his performance in Manchester By The Sea and picked up plaudits for his role in the quirky supernatural film A Ghost Story.
Deadline reports that the filmmaking duo are working together to create a new drama show, which is attracting some serious attention from multiple networks. The project doesn’t even have a title as of yet, but is reportedly a horror television series that will track the origins of a cult. It’s being developed under Anonymous Content, the production company behind Mr. Robot, and it’s expected to be offered to the premium cable and streaming outlets. Apparently when questioned on the property though, the company declined to comment or provide further information. Despite the secrecy, Cuarón is said to be writing, directing and executive producing, while Affleck is starring and also executive producing. If all goes to plan, this would be the first ongoing TV series role for Affleck.
It’s not the first time that Cuarón has been involved with a genre TV series, as he also co-created the short-lived NBC series Believe in 2014, about a young girl with supernatural abilities. That was cancelled pretty swiftly, but no doubt Cuarón has learnt lessons since then. His next film is Roma, which chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s, and Affleck’s next movie is opposite Robert Redford in The Old Man and the Gun. But, apparently, there is enough of a buzz around this new series to ensure that they will both remain committed to it.
With a such a high-profile filmmaker and actor attached to a horror series, it will be interesting to see where the project goes and exactly what the narrative will be. With the uneasy political climates around the world, placing the focus on a cult of some kind could be either a canny or unwise move, but that certainly hasn’t stopped the makers of American Horror Story. We looked forward to finding out more about the series when further details are made available.
More: The Best Horror TV Shows Of All-Time
Source: Deadline
