Tom Savini has directed a Joe Hill adaptation for Shudder’s Creepshow

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Every time we hear some fresh news about Shudder's upcoming series continuation of the Creepshow franchise, it gets more and more apparent that all the right moves are being made to ensure that this show is going to be a worthy successor to the George A. Romero / Stephen King collaborations CREEPSHOW and CREEPSHOW 2. It all started with the announcement that The Walking Dead executive producer / special effects artist Greg Nicotero, a protégé of both Romero and special effects legend Tom Savini who started his career with Romero's 1985 film DAY OF THE DEAD, would be supervising the creative elements of the show. Since then Nicotero has been overseeing a first season that will include contributions from King, King's son Joe Hill (who had an acting role in the first CREEPSHOW), CREEPSHOW co-star Adrienne Barbeau, and original CREEPSHOW composer John Harrison.

Now another CREEPSHOW alumni has announced their involvement with the series. Speaking at the Monsterpalooza convention last weekend, CREEPSHOW FX artist Tom Savini revealed that he has directed a segment of the upcoming show. He's not able to offer much information at this point, but he did confirm that the show will have the same comic book visual style as the films.

Savini said that the segment he directed, an adaptation of Hill's By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain, is 

a combination of STAND BY ME, THE FOG, and JURASSIC PARK."

He told the Monsterpalooza crowd that the series is 

really something, it's a big deal, you can't imagine. It will be like the movie, with comic book pages turning and boxes and people reacting with scary things behind them."

By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain has the following description: 

Little Gail London and her friend Joel Quarrel are out on a cold and lonely morning at the end of summer, when they make the find of the century: a dead plesiosaur, the size of a two-ton truck, washed up on the sand. With the fog swirling about them, they make their plans, fight to defend their discovery, and face for the first time the enormity of mortality itself… all unaware of what else might be out there in the silver water of Lake Champlain.

I referred to this adaptation as a "segment" rather than an episode because each episode of Creepshow will consist of two segments, so Savini's By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain adaptation will be paired with a story helmed by another director in that episode.

Other stories being brought to the screen in this season of Creepshow include 

“House of the Head” by Josh Malerman 

“The Companion” by Joe R. Lansdale 

“The Man in the Suitcase” by Christopher Buehlman 

“All Hallows Eve” by Bruce Jones 

“Night of the Paw” by John Esposito 

“Bad Wolf Down” by Rob Schrab 

“Gray Matter” by Stephen King

Also directing Creepshow segments are Rob Schrab, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Greg Nicotero, and John Harrison, who is taking the helm of a story he co-wrote with Nicotero.

Adrienne Barbeau co-stars in Nicotero's Gray Matter adaptation with Tobin Bell and Giancarlo Esposito. 

Creepshow will premiere on the Shudder streaming service later this year.

The series is being produced by the Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment. Nicotero serves as an executive producer with Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, Eric Woods, Brian Witten, Robert Dudelson, James Dudelson, Jordan Kizwani, and Russell Binder. Marc Mostman is co-executive producer.