NBC Unveils New Horror Anthology Series

BURBANK, March 4: A host
of prominent directors, actors and writers have signed on for NBC’s new
13-episode suspense and horror anthology series, Fear Itself, from Lionsgate in association with Industry
Entertainment.

Teri Weinberg, the
executive VP of NBC Entertainment, said: "We’ve teamed up with some of the
most illustrious writers, actors and directors to create a distinctive,
scare-filled series that will push the boundaries of this classic genre. Fear
Itself will deliver memorable and
horrifying moments that will keep fans on the edge of their seats, begging for
more on this fun-filled ride of terror."

"We and our partners
at Industry Entertainment couldn’t be happier about NBC’s enthusiastic support
of Fear Itself and the caliber
of artists who have been drawn to the project," said Kevin
Beggs, Lionsgate’s president of television programming and production.
"Our goal is to offer audiences a fantastic thrill every week and we’ve
certainly got the all-star team to do it."

"Eater" is
directed by Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, Masters of Horror)
and written by Cemetery Dance Magazine’s publisher and editor, Richard Chizmar (From a Buick 8) and actor Johnathon Schaech (Masters of Horror, That Thing You Do!). It tells the story of a rookie cop who must
spend her first night in the precinct watching over a serial killer, coined
"The Eater." It stars Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) and Stephen R. Hart (Shoot ‘Em Up), along with Russell Hornsby (Lincoln Heights), Pablo Schreiber (The Wire) and Stephen Lee (Boston Legal).

"Spooked" is
directed by Brad Anderson (The Machinist) and written by Matt Venne (White Noise 2: The Light). It stars Eric Roberts (NBC’s Heroes) as a private eye on a stake out in a haunted
house. The cast is rounded out by Jack Noseworthy (Judging Amy), Cynthia Watros (Lost) and Larry Gilliard Jr. (The Wire).

"Community" is
directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho, The Notorious Betty Page,
Big Love) and written by Kelly
Kennemer (The Music Within).
Brandon Routh (Superman Returns)
and Shiri Appleby (Charlie Wilson’s War) play a young married couple who buy their dream house but soon
realize that their neighbors will go to any extreme—even murder—to
make sure that they comply with their twisted sense of conformity. John
Billingsley (Star Trek: Enterprise)
also stars.

Four criminals find
themselves stranded in an old fort and slowly discover that both the fort and
the seductive women who reside there are filled with deadly secrets in
"Red Snow." The screenplay was written by Mick Garris (Riding the
Bullet, Amazing Stories), from a story by Del Howison (Dark Delicacies). Breck Eisner (Creature from the Black Lagoon) serves as the director.

"Chance" tells
the story of a man who is confronted by his evil self. It is written by Lem
Dobbs (The Score), with a
director to be announced later.

"New Year’s Day"
will be directed by Darren Bousman (Saw II, III and IV), and is written by Steve Niles (30 Days of
Night) from a story by Paul Kane.
It features a young woman who wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by
horrifying zombies.

The action-charged,
psychological thriller "Family Man" centers on a man who switches
bodies with a serial killer after a near-death experience. It will be directed
by Ronny Yu (Freddy vs. Jason, Bride
of Chucky) and is written by Dan
Knauf (Carnivàle, Supernatural).

"Skin &
Bones" is written by Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan (Masters of Horror) with a director to be announced later. It tells
the story of a cattle herder who returns home to his family after being lost in
the woods for days and doesn't seem the same.

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski