NBC’s Horror Series ‘Cul-De-Sac’ Could Be First TV Show Under New ‘Blumhouse Presents’ Brand
Looks like a new brand is moving into the neighborhood.
Not content with upending traditional Hollywood business models with his micro-budget, auteur-driven horror films, producerJason Blumand his Blumhouse Productions are branching out into television with a new brand calledBlumhouse Presents. Now a new report pegs a possible new NBC series calledCul-De-Sacas the first contender to be slapped with the fledgling brand’s label. I bet it’ll still have that “new brand smell,” too.
Deadlinereports that NBC has begun developing a horror series called Cul-De-Sac, which hails from writerBrian Sieve(Teen Wolf, Scream: The TV Series) and directorLarysa Kondracki. We covered Kondracki’s feature directorial debut – a film calledThe Whistleblowerthat starred Rachel Weisz – back in2010, and she’s since become a go-to director in the TV world, directing episodes of shows likeThe Walking Dead, The Americans, Halt and Catch Fire, Better Call Saul, Gotham, Legion, and more.Cul-De-Sacis described as “a serialized drama about three families living in a suburban cul-de-sac who begin to experience terrifying events and come to realize there’s something sinister invading their perfect middle-class dream.” Sounds very Amblin-esque, which is obviously a popular aesthetic considering the success of Netflix’sStranger Things. I’m getting a slightThe ‘Burbsvibe from this description, and my hope is that it’s able to do what the best network TV shows are able to do: transcend their limitations by creating characters we want to spend time with each week.
But if all works out, it may be able to add some more viewers through sheer name recognition. Deadline’s sources tell them “there is a branding idea for an event series franchise” that will be labeled “Blumhouse Presents,” andCul-De-Sacmay be the first installment out of the gate.
The first thing to come to mind when one hears that name isAlfred Hitchcock Presents, the anthology series that ran for ten seasons from 1955-1965. The acclaimed filmmaker hosted and produced the show, which featured different types of stories (mysteries, dramas, etc.) with a revolving door of directors.Cul-De-Sacsounds like it’ll be a cohesive season of TV – an “event series” – and then an entirely different show with a different vibe could come along as the next Blumhouse Presents entry. In that regard, it sounds almost more likeAmerican Horror Story– multiples seasons telling different stories under the same banner.
