Last year, before the film even opened in North America, Sam Mendes and John Logan, the director and writer of “Skyfall,” began developing a vampire-hunting TV series set in the 1800s. The pair pitched the series to various cable networks, and the show has now found a home at Showtime.
Titled "Penny Dreadful," it was originally described as being “in the vein of ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,’” but is now being called “a psychological horror drama series with literary underpinnings, including Dr. Frankenstein and his creature,” Dorian Gray and characters from Bram Stoker's "Dracula." And while initial word was that various literary characters team up to “hunt for vampires,” that detail is conspicuously absent from recent reports, which note that the original vision for the show has changed slightly for the cable network.
“It’s very realistic, it’s very grounded,” Showtime entertainment president David Nevins said. “The characters are all in very human form in turn-of-the-century London. It’s very psychological and highly erotic.”
And with that, the network has given "Penny Dreadful" a series order. Logan will write and executive produce, with Mendes joining in the EP role and possibly directing the pilot. Does this sound promising to you? Let us know below. [Deadline/EW]