Exclusive: ‘Phantasm’ May Be Headed to Television as the Tall Man Eyes a New Generation of Victims

EXCLUSIVE: The next great horror franchise may be making the leap from the big screen to television.

Dread Central has exclusively learned that a television adaptation of Don Coscarelli’s cult classic Phantasm is currently in the works. While details remain under wraps, the development comes at a fascinating time for the horror genre, which has increasingly turned to prestige television as a way of expanding some of its most beloved franchises.

The move to the small screen comes after horror veteran Nick Antosca (Channel Zero, Cape Fear) had been developing a feature film from his own screenplay through his Eat the Cat label, which, sources tell me, was excellent. It’s unclear if he’s continued to be involved.

Just yesterday, we reported that the planned Halloween television series is no longer moving forward, at least as far as we’re currently aware. Meanwhile, Friday the 13th is set to return this October with Peacock and A24’s Crystal Lake, a prequel series exploring the mythology surrounding Pamela and Jason Voorhees. A24 is also developing a Texas Chain Saw Massacre television series, signaling that studios are increasingly interested in long-form storytelling rather than traditional theatrical reboots.

Now it appears Phantasm could be next.

Released in 1979, Phantasm introduced audiences to one of horror’s most unforgettable villains: the Tall Man, portrayed by the late Angus Scrimm. The film follows Mike Pearson, a teenage boy who begins investigating a local mortuary after witnessing a series of increasingly bizarre events. What he discovers is a nightmare involving interdimensional worlds, flying silver spheres, reanimated corpses, and the mysterious Tall Man, a supernatural undertaker harvesting the dead. The original film blended science fiction, horror, and fantasy into something unique, earning cult classic status and spawning one of horror’s most devoted fan bases.