Adrienne Barbeau, Giancarlo Esposito and Tobin Bell cast in Shudder’s ‘Creepshow’

Horror streaming service Shudder have announced initial casting for its upcoming horror anthology series, Creepshow, which is based on the iconic 1982 film written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero.

Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), and Tobin Bell (Saw) will star in the Stephen King story Gray Matter, adapted by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi (The Commuter) and directed by series showrunner Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead). In Gray Matter, Doc and Chief, two old-timers in a small, dying town, brave a storm to check on Richie, an alcoholic single father, after encountering his terrified son at the local convenience store. The story, first published in 1973, is part of King’s best-selling 1978 collection, Night Shift.

Says Nicotero:

I feel I’m in great company getting the opportunity to direct a story written by Steve. Between Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary and The Stand, I’ve always found his stories rich in relatable characters forced into supernatural situations beyond their control—the everyday person’s primal fears. To visualize ‘Gray Matter’ for Creepshow with the help of Adrienne, Giancarlo and Tobin was about as good as it gets for a horror fan from Pittsburgh!

For Barbeau, Gray Matter represents a return to the Creepshow franchise more than 25 years after her unforgettable portrayal of Billie in the 1982 segment, “The Crate”. Barbeau also serves as the host of the Shudder Original podcast, She Kills. Said Barbeau:

I was thrilled when Greg asked me to join the Creepshow world once again. And then working with Tobin and Giancarlo, with Greg as our director, well, that was the icing on the cake — no, not that cake. Oh, you know what I mean.

With Gray Matter, Shudder has confirmed eight of the twelve segments that will make up Creepshow’s six-episode season. Previously announced segments include By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain by Joe Hill, House of the Head by Josh Malerman (Bird Box), The Companion by Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale, & Keith Lansdale, The Man in the Suitcase by Christopher Buehlman, All Hallows Eve by Bruce Jones, Night of the Paw by John Esposito, and Bad Wolf Down by Rob Schrab.

Additional titles and casting will be announced soon. The series is scheduled to wrap production later this week in Atlanta, GA.