MGM+ is reaching the end of an era with its horror hit From nearing its final chapter. Premiering back in 2022, the Lost-like series starring Harold Perrineau has grown from a hidden gem stashed within the smaller streaming service to easily one of its most recognizable properties, praised for its blend of terror and ever-unfolding mysteries. Season 5 has been announced as its last, and expectations are for it to premiere sometime next year. Before then, though, the platform has found its next macabre show that will look to fill that absence with a very X-Files-like premise.
The streamer officially greenlit The Black Tapes, a new eight-episode supernatural horror mystery series that’s set to begin production in Vancouver in January. It’s based on the smash-hit podcast of the same name, which launched in 2015 from creators Terry Miles and Paul Bae and ran for three seasons, totaling 30 episodes by the time it wrapped in 2017. Both Miles and Bae have been tapped as writers and executive producers, with Kearie Peak of Peak Pictures and John Rogers and Jennifer Court of Kung Fu Monkey executive producing alongside them and MGM Studios producing. Two-time Game of Thrones Emmy nominee Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, fresh off returning for Season 2 of Apple TV‘s The Last Thing He Told Me, will lead the charge as the enigmatic psychiatrist Dr. Richard Strand.
As one of the earlier horror podcasts to take off, The Black Tapes has been recognized as one of the genre’s more influential titles, reaching over 60 million downloads since its premiere more than a decade ago. The television series adaptation will follow the brilliant Dr. Strand alongside the obsessed, relentless scientist Alex Regan to debunk the titular black tapes, an infamous collection documenting all things paranormal, including “hauntings, possessions, disappearances, and sinister legends.” In trying to unravel these mysteries, however, they learn that the truth runs even deeper, revealing a secret occult world behind our own with an apocalyptic conspiracy that they must race to unwind.
‘The Black Tapes’ Adds to MGM+’s Catalog of Star-Driven Entertainment
MGM+ is a fitting destination for The Black Tapes, given its success with From and the Steven King series, The Institute, as well as other star-driven vehicles. Michael Wright, the Global Head of MGM+, believes it also meshes well with the platform’s identity around classic storytelling with its approach to tackling the mysteries of the world. “The Black Tapes crafts a compelling story around our cultural fascination with the unexplained, while delivering the cinematic, classic storytelling that MGM+ audiences expect,” he said in an official statement. “With Nikolaj’s compelling presence and the creative vision of John Rogers, Kearie Peak and our talented production team, we’re excited to make something that is both provocative and hugely entertaining.” In his own statement, Rogers expressed his excitement to bring a podcast that he personally loved to an entirely new audience.
“I was an early and passionate fan of The Black Tapes podcast. It’s a unique blend of truly unsettling horror and puzzle-box conspiracy mystery. With Paul and Terry not just executive producing, but also in the writer’s room, we have a chance to both bring The Black Tapes to a new generation of genre fans and deepen and expand the mythos in ways that will surprise long-time supernatural horror fans.”
The Black Tapes enters production next year.
via Collider