EXCLUSIVE: Chris Columbus is dusting off CREEPY Magazine to produce a four-part anthology film, one segment of which he will write and produce. Columbus and 1492’s Michael Barnathan have teamed with Submarine partners and New Comic Company’s principals Dan Braun and Josh Braun, and Sara Feldmann Sheehan to produce the film.
The Comic-Con set might remember CREEPY as a seminal horror comic magazine that was generated by Warren Publishing from 1964-83. Starting with iconic covers from Frank Frazetta, the magazine’s contributor list ranged from Spider-Man artist Steve Ditko to Bernie Wrightson, Gene Colan, Richard Corben, Al Williamson, and Wally Wood. Horror anthology films are also a throwback, when films like The House That Dripped Blood and Tales From The Crypt were made. This will emulate the set up of those films.
Rights to both CREEPY and EERIE magazines were acquired by the Brauns with partners Rick Brookwell and Craig Haffner under the holding entity New Comic Company in 2007. Columbus’s deal was made by WME, while New Comic Company is managed by Mosaic Media and repped by ICM Partners.
“I am thrilled to be immersed once again in the world of CREEPY and EERIE,” Columbus said in a statement. “They featured some of the most important comic book artists of the time and were incredibly influential in my desire to become a filmmaker. It is really exciting to have the opportunity to bring these unique tales to the screen and share them with today’s audiences.”
The Brauns said that after several years of trying to figure out how to exploit the brand name, this fit well with Columbus. “We have always been fans of Anthology horror films such as the Trilogy of Terror and Tales from the Crypt and it has been our goal to figure out a way to make a great CREEPY anthology,” the said. “Chris and Michael and their team at 1492 are the perfect partners to bring this to life.”
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