Jordan Peele is rebooting The Twilight Zone, and he'll bring Rod Serling's much-beloved sci-fi series into the modern era on the up-and-coming streaming service CBS All-Access, home to another updated genre classic. Peele will be stepping into Serling's shoes in a more visible way when the series kicks off, as a new promo for the reboot reveals the Get Out director taking over for Serling during the memorable opening sequence. Check it out and try not to be hypnotized.
Those who were caught up in the nostalgia and eeriness of the trailer might have missed the big reveal in the text midway through, which explained that the series is undergoing a changing of the guard and that Jordan Peele will serve as the host and narrator of the new incarnation of The Twilight Zone. There's no denying Rod Serling's voice (both his vocal one and his storytelling one) is iconic and intricately tied to The Twilight Zone franchise, although Jordan Peele's recreation just there was almost enough to give us chills. The two's voices are very different, but it certainly sounds like Peele tried to keep his line deliveries very close to that of the original show creator.
The move may disappoint The Twilight Zone faithful who might have hoped for modern hologram technology or a spot-on impersonator to bring Rod Serling's voice and likeness back to the franchise, but Peele's inclusion could ultimately be seen as a greater respect to the original creator, who passed in 1975. After all, Serling has nothing to do with this iteration beyond inspirational relevance, and given that Peele is the driving force on this fresh endeavor, it's almost as though he's honoring Serling by taking on all of the same responsibilities. So far, the Internet seems largely in favor of Peele's narration, although YouTube user Massangler1856 had a slight request that others were rallying behind:
I hope they keep the double narration for the real intro. That was pretty cool.
Even social media users who claimed they were wary of The Twilight Zone reboot seemed impressed by the video, which felt new but still faithful to the original series. Of course, this is just a light-on-visuals promo, so skeptics shouldn't be swayed so easily, although Jordan Peele has been consistent about wanting the reboot to honor the original. Peele explained that he wishes to continue Serling's mission by offering up a series that puts any ego he may have aside in order to foster a fresh creative vision in bringing back a show that he feels America needs again. This new promo might not be definitive proof Peele will succeed in that goal, but it certainly shows he and the show's crew are on the right track to creating a series that will entice both old and new generations to "A dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity."
Production on The Twilight Zone is set to start sometime this fall, and the series will premiere on CBS All Access in 2019. Keep track of all things coming to television until then by bookmarking our handy fall premiere guide.
