Just last week we told you what modern horror filmmakers can learn from “The Twilight Zone.” The show, which ran from 1959-64, is one of the most influential basis for genre entertainment. It was the Shyamalan before the Shyamalan, on a weekly basis.
After various incarnations, including a feature film from John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller, talk of a resurrection has been ongoing for years. And while Warner Bros. has been developing a feature, CBS is now entering the anthology series as a newly revived television series and video game.
Digital video company Interlude has secured a deal with CBS to turn the series into a project marrying a live-action film with gaming, reports The Wrap.
Interlude is known for making videos that play like sophisticated choose-your-own-adventure films, explains the site. The company has widened its scope since then, using its technology to help filmmakers, music artists and brands craft interactive online videos.
For the coming “Twilight Zone” revival, Interlude and CBS were vague about the shape it would take, defining it as an “original interactive project” that will let viewers “step in and become a part of the story.” Like many of the start-up’s past creations, it is sure to sew together live-action storytelling with opportunities for the viewer to choose the direction of the narrative.
Here’s the bombshell: Ken Levine, esteemed in gaming circles as the creator of “BioShock,” will write and direct the pilot episode!
The new “Twilight Zone” will honor the original series’ approach but will add the twist of letting the viewer “change and adapt the story based on what he or she feels,” the companies said. “As with all other Interlude videos, viewers can return repeatedly and have a different viewing experience each time.”