Horror streaming service Shudder has announced that it’s bringing a new docuseries to the platform that takes a deep dive into the legacies of horror’s most iconic villains.
Called Behind the Monsters, the series will feature interviews with both horror experts and the writers, directors, and actors from the original films. The debut season will be made up of six episodes, each focusing on a single horror character. Here’s what the season has in store for us:
Candyman: featuring interviews with the original Candyman (1992) director Bernard Rose and stars Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen, as well as Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta and Horror Noire’s Tananarive Due, among others.
Chucky: featuring interviews with Child’s Play (1988) creator/writer Don Mancini, director Tom Holland, and star Catherine Hicks, along with the voice of Chucky, Brad Dourif, among others.
Jason Voorhees: featuring interviews with Kane Hodder, actor/stuntman from Friday the 13th Parts VII & VIII, Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X, and Tom Savini, special effects creator on Friday the 13th Parts I & IV, among others.
Michael Myers: featuring interviews with actor Nick Castle from Halloween (1978) and the new Halloween films from Blumhouse, as well as Halloween (2018) stunt actor James Jude Courtney, among others.
Freddy Krueger: featuring interviews with A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) stars Heather Langenkamp and Lin Shaye, as well as special effects designer Jim Doyle, among others.
Pinhead: including an interview with Hellraiser actor Doug Bradley and others.
Other experts who will weigh in on these notorious monsters include Drac and Swan Boulet (The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula), Horror Noire documentary writer and producer Ashlee Blackwell, The Last Podcast on the Left hosts Ben Kissel and Henry Zebrowski, Blumhouse producer Ryan Turek, and filmmakers Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination), April Wolfe (2019’s Black Christmas), and David Bruckner (Hellraiser reboot), as well as filmmaker and drag artist Peaches Christ.
“In the history of film, only a handful of stars and characters like Mickey Mouse or Marilyn Monroe have risen to the heights of fame to become instantly recognizable the world over,” Craig Engler, Shudder’s general manager, said in a statement. “Yet somehow, a small group of monsters who got their start in low-budget horror movies have transcended their humble beginnings to become international pop culture icons. Behind the Monsters will tell the story of their unlikely rise to fame, from the ideas that inspired them to the indelible mark they’ve left on the world.”
Behind the Monsters was written and directed by Gabrielle Binkley and Anthony Uro. The series will premiere on October 26th, with new episodes releasing weekly.
Words: Samantha McLaren (@themeatispeople)
