Syfy developing TV series based on Clive Barker’s Nightbreed

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Almost thirty years ago, Clive Barker wrote and directed NIGHTBREED, a dark fantasy horror film based upon his 1988 novella "Cabal." Unfortunately, Barker had to deal with studio-mandated cuts and misleading marketing and the film would go on to become a commercial and critical failure, but over the years, NIGHTBREED has become a cult hit and Scream Factory even released a director's cut of the film in 2014. Last year, Morgan Creek Entertainment announced that they were looking to exploit a number of films in their catalogue, including NIGHTBREED, and it seems that our next trip to Midian will take place on television as Syfy is developing a series based upon Clive Barker's creation.

The potential series will be penned by Josh Stolberg (JIGSAW) and explore race relations in America, only in the case of Nightbreed, those races are humans and monsters. Nightbreed will follow "a group of underground half-human/half-monsters seeking to find a new refuge and home after their original hiding place is destroyed. Leading these efforts is a recently-turned reluctant hero who not only is adjusting to his new supernatural status, but is also dealing with the grief and mystery surrounding the death of his fiancé. Will this group band together despite being hunted and persecuted by humans who find their 'otherness' to be frightening?" Clive Barker will serve as one of the executive producers and said, "This story has been near to my heart for many years. I’m at beyond thrilled that SyFy and UCP are taking this journey with us and I cannot wait to see it brought to life on the screen." In a statement, Morgan Creek Entertainment Group president David Robinson added:

There has never been a more relevant time for us to turn to one of the genre’s great cult classics from our movie library to impact the national conversation with bold, compelling and unconventional storytelling. The team at Morgan Creek is very excited to partner with Clive Barker, SyFy and Universal Cable Productions on Nightbreed for a unique, trenchant and no-holds barred exploration of race relations in today’s society. As a sophisticated twist on the classic graphic novel form, Nightbreed pits ‘Humans’ against persecuted monsters, using metaphor and parable to take on bias and prejudice with real-world consequences.

It's been some time since I last watched NIGHTBREED, but I recall enjoying the world Clive Barker created, however, giving the expansive story a little more room to breathe in a TV format might be the best shot for a revival. What do you folks think, can NIGHTBREED work as a TV series?