Screen Gems, Crypt TV Team On ‘13 Ghosts’ Update

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures genre label Screen Gems has partnered with Crypt TV, the horror genre brand co-founded by CEO Jack Davis and Eli Roth, to produce a 10-minute short based on the 1960 horror film 13 Ghosts. The pic, which will begin production this winter, is being eyed for an early 2020 release on Crypt’s YouTube and Facebook. The aim is to create longer-form content based on the reception of the short.

Directed by William Castle, the filmmaker behind such horror classics as House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler and Rosemary’s Baby, the original 13 Ghosts centered on a family who inherited a house harboring 13 diabolical spirits.

Sony released a 2001 remake, which was directed by Steve Beck.

This deal, which marks the first time Crypt has worked with a studio on established IP, comes after the digital horror network recently inked a deal with Facebook Watch to create five exclusive original series for the social media platform’s service.

The announcement was made by Davis and Screen Gems’ Scott Strauss and Michael Bitar.

“Crypt is thrilled to work with Screen Gems to bring a fresh take of 13 Ghosts for our Gen Z audience,” said Davis. “We’ve spent years perfecting the process of creating emotionally anchored, scary content that connects with a young audience. Screen Gems has been a fantastic partner and believer in how we can apply our secret sauce to titles in their library and create lots of value moving forward. 13 Ghosts is a great IP and we can’t wait to bring our trademark Crypt spin on the property to our audience.”

Said Strauss: “Jack and the team at Crypt continue to deliver dynamic content to their growing audience. We’re excited to be working with them to revive and freshen 13 Ghosts for a new generation on a storytelling platform young horror fans have clearly embraced. They’re ideal creative partners for this moment and we expect the new 13 Ghosts to be fun, resonant, and above all, really scary.”