The co-creator and star of a Blumhouse found footage franchise explains why they made the jump from Netflix to Shudder. Although it’s primarily known for its movie offerings, which run the gamut from Happy Death Day to Get Out, Blumhouse has had several television series with varying levels of success. Some of their more notable projects in recent years include the horror anthology Into the Dark and Prime Video’s The Horror of Dolores Roach.
The production company made its mark, however, with the 2009 found footage horror Paranormal Activity. Directed by Oren Peli, and continuing in the form of several sequels, Paranormal Activity helped to propel found footage horrors as a way of telling familiar stories through a fresh lens and subverting expectations. Another mini-franchise, which has made the jump to television, would follow a few years later.
The Creep Tapes Is Now On Shudder
Mark Duplass Reprises The Lead Role
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In an interview with The New York Times to promote The Creep Tapes, Mark Duplass was asked why the new horror series streams on Shudder even though the Creep films are on Netflix. Duplass noted that Netflix made sense for Creep at the time, as it was first being released in the mid-2010s. The co-creator and star goes on to discuss the fact that, these days, the bigger streaming services may not give the smaller shows as much of a chance. The quote is below:
“Creep” and “Creep 2” were on Netflix. Why the move to Shudder? At the time, Netflix was the perfect fit. Back then, a lot of filmmakers didn’t want to be on Netflix because they wouldn’t get a theatrical release. But I thought, I am going to get a ton of eyeballs on it, and most importantly, Netflix really appreciates me. I felt like a big fish in a small sea. That’s no longer the case, and that’s OK. We made “The Creep Tapes” independently. We took it around town, and some people passed, but a lot of people said, “We want to do this.” These bigger streamers, they’ll buy you, but if you don’t hit and give them billions of viewers in the first season, they’ll cancel you. I was very surprised that we ended up going with Shudder, but they make us feel like the “Morning Show” of Shudder.
Duplass refers, in the quote above, to the Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show. It’s one of the more expensive originals on television, with a starry cast and a reportedly huge budget. Duplass is one of the original Morning Show cast members, and the Emmy-nominated series has been renewed for season 4.
What’s The Creep Tapes About?
The First Film Came Out In 2014
The Creep Tapes is based on Creep 1 and Creep 2, continuing the story of Duplass’ secluded serial killer who lures unsuspecting victims with the promise of a paid job to document his life. But as with the Creep movies, Duplass’ character proves to have some very sinister motives. The streaming continuation debuted on November 15, on both AMC and Shudder, comprising six episodes.
Related Creep 3: Is It Happening? Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know Blumhouse’s Creep was a 2014 horror movie that was successful enough to get a sequel. But are Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice writing Creep 3?
Produced by Duplass Brothers Productions and Shudder, The Creep Tapes features a supporting cast that shifts from one episode to the next. Duplass and Brice co-wrote and executive produce the series, with Brice, director of the original films, also directing all episodes. Mel Eslyn, Jay Duplass, and Chris Donlon executive produce, while Shuli Harel serves as co-executive producer.
The move to Shudder may mean that The Creep Tapes has a better chance of securing a renewal than if it debuted on Netflix. It may have a more natural home among a streaming service for horror lovers that have likely been singing the praises of Duplass’ found footage movies for nearly a decade, rather than on Netflix, which tries to serve general audiences with its TV show offerings.
Source: The New York Times