POLTERGEIST Series in Early Development at Amazon MGM Studios

Earlier this year it was reported that Amazon Studios was looking to revive Steven Spielberg’s classic horror film Poltergeist. Well, they’re moving forward with that and they are in early development on a TV series.

Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce on behalf of Amblin Television. As of right now, there’s no writer attached and there are no details on what the official plans are in regard to the story. But, it will obviously be inspired by the original film and elements of that story are going to make their way into the series.

Poltergeist is easily one of my all-time favorite horror films, and the story revolves around the Freeling family, whose suburban home is invaded by malevolent spirits. At first, the spirits appear harmless, communicating with the youngest daughter, Carol Anne, through the family's television set. However, things quickly turn sinister when Carol Anne is abducted by the entities and pulled into an alternate dimension. With the help of parapsychologists and a spiritual medium named Tangina, the Freelings embark on a desperate quest to rescue Carol Anne from the malevolent force holding her captive.

There were a couple of sequels made as well, the first of which I liked. As for the third film, there were elements that I did like, but it definitely wasn’t the best of the three. There was also a Showtime series titled Poltergeist: The Legacy, which ran for three seasons before airing a fourth and final season on Sci-Fi Channel in 1999. The show centered on a group known as The Legacy as they protected the world from supernatural dangers. I don’t remember it being that good.

It’ll be interesting to see how this Poltergeist series turns out and how the creative team will approach the story and subject matter. It’d be great if they actually made a good show!