John Carpenter returning to director’s chair after 13 year hiatus

Genre legend John Carpenter hasn’t made a movie since 2013’s poorly received The Ward. But he’s returning to the director’s chair very soon for a new horror anthology series.

If you like horror, or sci-fi, or badass cinema, you probably love the work of John Carpenter, who in the late 1970s and early 1980s went on one of the great filmmaking runs.

After low-budget, semi-student film Dark Star became a hit with stoners, Carpenter directed big-screen classics Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980), Escape From New York (1981), and The Thing (1982).

Cult classics like Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, and They Live followed. But so did mis-fires like Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Ghosts of Mars, and the film that resulted in Carpenter walking away from the industry, The Ward. But now that self-imposed break appears to be over.

John Carpenter returning to director’s chair after 13 year hiatus

John Carpenter will direct an episode of new unscripted horror anthology series Suburban Screams for Peacock.

Deadline describes the six-episode series as “an exploration of true tales of terror that took place in seemingly perfect American hometowns.”

As well as directing, Carpenter produces and composes the theme music. Which isn’t a surprise as the director has segued into music over the last decade, releasing albums of electronic instrumentals, then touring them all over the world.

What is John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams about?

Here’s the official synopsis for Suburban Screams: “The series explores the dark secrets and unspeakable evil that sometimes lurks beneath the surface of the sun-drenched streets, manicured lawns, and friendly neighbors of suburbia.  

“Each episode focuses on one true tale of terror, told by the real people who lived through it. In addition to firsthand accounts, the episodes will include cinematic reenactments, personal archives, and historic town press coverage.”

John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams premieres on Peacock on October 13, 2023. Which also just happens to be Friday the 13th.

For more horror coverage, check out the below articles. Or head here to read our pick of the best new scary movies and shows to watch this Halloween.

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