Way before the recent news hit that Ridley Scott is developing a sci-fi programming block for TNT, the network attempted to do the same thing with horror, tapping filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan as the curator. Headlining that spooky concept would've been a rebooted version of the classic anthology Tales from the Crypt, an idea that both frightened and delighted fans. Sadly, that announcement was ostensibly the furthest the project actually got, as far as potential viewers are concerned, and network president Kevin Reilly has confirmed the remake is dead, giving this as the reasoning:
That one got really caught up in a complete legal mess unfortunately with a very complicated underlying rights structure. We lost so much time, so I said, 'Look, I'm not waiting around four years for this thing.' Maybe that will come back around but in the meantime, Ridley Scott had come up, who has so much creative enthusiasm.
So often, when promising projects have to take a backseat to others, it'll be rights issues clogging up the works. Seemingly more often than not, it's music rights that stand in the way, but one wouldn't imagine that being the case with Tales from the Crypt; it definitely had a memorable theme song, but there likely aren't any other tune-based problems happening. No, these issues are probably embedded deep within HBO contracts or ancient EC Comics paperwork, and they're apparently so complicated that it's worth dropping the entire horror block entirely, rather than regrouping and finding another flagship series as a focus point.
At least, that's the temporary plan, with movement going forward with all things Ridley Scott and science fiction. With Alien: Covenant currently reviving the Alien brand in theaters, Scott's name is big business, so it's understandable why Kevin Reilly is high on this batch of projects. While we almost definitely won't be seeing any new Tales from the Crypt episodes in the near future, the concept of the horror block isn't entirely dead. Here's what else Reilly had to say, according to Deadline.
I haven't ruled it out. We don't have a specific property today, but we're open to it.
Considering M. Night Shyamalan is currently enjoying the success of Split and crafting the highly anticipated sequel to his hit drama Unbreakable, he likely wouldn't have much time to put into small screen reboots. Perhaps by the time 2018 gets here, TNT will be talking about bringing Outer Limits back for another round. Until then, though, we're still digging on this concept trailer.
We're certain to hear more about Ridley Scott's future at TNT in the coming months, and to discover what other new and returning shows will pop up during that time, head to our summer TV premiere guide.
