Barnabas Collins may be rising from the grave.
The Hollywood Reporter is stating that Warner Brothers Animation is developing an adult animated version of the classic Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows.
Created by Dan Curtis, Dark Shadows concentrated on the lives of the Collins family residing in a gothic mansion in New England with storylines that mixed family drama with supernatural elements. Originally not a hit in the ratings when it launched in 1966, Curtis was emboldened to introduce the character of Barnabas Collins, a vampire descendant of the modern day family who had been entombed in the family crypt for two centuries and had just been freed. Barnabus quickly proved to be a fan favorite and as the ratings rose, Curtis added more supernatural elements to the ongoing plotlines such as witches, ghosts, zombies, time travel and more. The show’s popularity proved brief however, and it was cancelled in 1971.
The show spun off two feature films – House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows – both of which featured many members of the series’ cast. In 1991, NBC attempted to ring the series back as a weekly nighttime soap, but the show only lasted half a season before being cancelled. The CW attempted to reboot the series in 2004, but the attempt never got past producing a pilot which never aired. Tim Burton directed a big screen adaptation in 2012 but it was met with poor reviews and box office.
Heading up development on the project for Warner Brothers Animation is Lisa Holdsworth, creator of Channel 4 series Dreamers. She has also previously served as a writer on Sky’s Discovery Of Witches and the BBC’s popular Call The Midwife series.
Via the Hollywood Reporter
