Horror fans received a scary treat last Halloween when it was announced that a Poltergeist television series was in development at Amazon MGM Studios. News was scarce at the time, with the only tidbit being that the series is inspired by the 1982 film of the same name. While plot details remain a mystery, major moves are happening behind the scenes with the announcement that Amazon has hired a pair of showrunners, writers, and executive producers with connections to Fear the Walking Dead and Supernatural.
Per Variety, Kalinda Vazquez and Robbie Thompson have been tapped as showrunners, writers, and executive producers on the Poltergeist television series. Vazquez’s credits cover a variety of genres and series, including Fear the Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, Star Trek: Discovery, Prison Break, and Nikita. While Thompson doesn’t boast as many credits, he was a writer on The CW’s Supernatural before going on to be a co-executive producer on the series. Thompson also created the Supernatural spinoff, The Winchesters, for The CW.
Poltergeist Was an Instant Horror Classic That Spawned a Franchise
Released in 1982, Poltergeist was directed by Tobe Hooper and written by Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor, from a story conceived by Spielberg himself. The film follows the Freelings, a typical suburban family who finds their home invaded by malevolent ghosts that abduct their daughter, Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke). The movie stars JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne, and Oliver Robins.
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Poltergeist became an instant critical and financial success, ultimately grossing $76.6 million at the domestic box office on a $10.7 million budget, turning it into the highest-grossing horror film of 1982. The movie went on to be nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects. Oddly enough, the film lost in all three categories to Spielberg’s own E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Poltergeist spawned two sequels and a 2015 remake, although none were as warmly received as the original film. Poltergeist II: The Other Side received mostly negative reviews, and currently holds a 20 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was financially successful, despite not grossing as much as its predecessor. On a $19 million budget, the movie ultimately grossed $75 million worldwide. The sequel even scored an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects.
Poltergeist III disappointed on the critical and financial front, but the sequel is significant because it marked the final performance of young Heather O’Rourke as Carol Ann. O’Rourke died four months before the release of Poltergeist III at the age of 12. Marketing the film became an issue for the studio because they didn’t want to come off as if they were exploiting her death to promote the movie so it suffered financially, grossing just $14.1 million on a $9.5 million budget.
The 2015 remake of the same name boasts a solid lead cast, including Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris, and Jane Adams, but reviews were negative, clocking in at 29 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the lukewarm critical reception, the remake was financially successful, grossing $95.6 million worldwide on a $35 million budget.
Poltergeist
can currently be streamed on MGM+.
