Gale Anne Hurd is pushing deeper into the horror space.
The Walking Dead executive producer is teaming with Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens’ Propagate Content to adapt popular podcast Lore as an hourlong anthology series, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. A network is not yet attached; Propagate will shop the series to broadcast and cable.
Lore, created by Aaron Mahnke, has more than 2 million listeners each month tuning in for the 100 percent fact-based tales that are brought to life via heavily researched eyewitness accounts, documented stories and historical events. The podcast, one of iTunes’ Best of 2015, was launched in March 2015 and in more than 30 installments explored the true origins of pop culture’s most legendary horror characters and myths such as vampires, zombies, werewolves, ghosts, serial killers and witches.
The anthology will, like the podcast, offer a blend of narration, historical mixed media and cinematically shot scripted scenes featuring top talent. Each episode will feature a new lore. Produced by Propagate Content and Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment, Lore will be exec produced by Hurd, Silverman, Owens, Brett-Patrick Jenkins and Mahnke, who also penned supernatural books including Indian Summer, Consumed and Grave Suspicion. The project was shepherded by Valhalla vp development Phillip Kobylanski, with Propgate development topper Jenkins bringing Lore to the company after reaching out to Mahnke.
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“Serial inadvertently created a completely new playground for storytelling and intellectual property. Aaron Mahnke is the Stephen King of podcasting,” Jenkins said.
Lore marks Hurd’s latest small-screen venture. The prolific producer counts AMC’s The Walking Dead and prequel Fear the Walking Dead as well as Syfy drama Hunters among her current projects. She next has USA Network’s Falling Water due.
“I’m excited to partner with Propagate on this truly thrilling and disturbing project,” Hurd said. “Lore is the real stuff that should keep you up at night.”
For Propagate, Lore marks the company’s latest TV venture following an unscripted series for Apple with will.i.am.
Lore becomes the latest podcast-turned-TV series, joining Serial, which is in the works at Fox 21 with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. It also becomes the latest individual episode anthology series, joining scripted entries Black Mirror at Netflix and TNT’s Tales From the Crypt as both look to take the seasonal approach of American Horror Story a step further.
