Cabinet of Curiosities: Guillermo del Toro lines up star talent for Netflix anthology
James R | On 03, Sep 2021
Guillermo del Toro is preparing to open up a Cabinet of Curiosities for Netflix, and he’s assembling a star-studded team of talent to do it.
Everyone from Andrew Lincoln and F Murray Abraham to Essie Davis and Essie Davis is attached to the project, with talent behind the camera that’s just as impressive, from Jennifer Kent to Vincenzo Natali.
Originally titled 10 After Midnight, the series will be a collection of live-action stories that aim to challenge traditional definitions and assumptions of horror, spanning genres from the gothic to the grotesque. Two of the eight tales involved will be written by Guillermo del Toro, while the directors will include Ana Lily Amirpour, Catherine Hardwicke and Guillermo Navarro.
The Pan’s Labyrinth director will be creator and executive producer on the series, with The Shape of Water producer J Miles Dale serving as executive producer, along with Gary Ungar (Exile Entertainment). Regina Corrado serves as co-EP.
Production is now underway on the project in Toronto. Here’s the full rundown of the stories and talent attached to each:
Untitled Episode 1
Cast: Essie Davis (The Babadook), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) and Hannah Galway (Sex/Life)
Writer: Guillermo del Toro
DirectorP: Jennifer Kent (The Babadook)
Untitled Episode 2
Cast: F Murray Abraham (Mythic Quest), Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and Luke Roberts (Ransom)
Writer: David S Goyer (The Dark Knight) based on a short story by Michael Shea
Director: David Prior (The Empty Man)
Untitled Episode 3
Cast: Tim Blake Nelson (Watchmen), Elpidia Carrillo (Euphoria), Demetrius Grosse (Fear The Walking Dead) and Sebastian Roché (The Man in the High Castle)
Writer: Regina Corrado (Deadwood; The Strain) based on an original story by Guillermo del Toro
Director: Guillermo Navarro (Narcos)
Untitled Episode 4
Cast: Crispin Glover (River’s Edge) and Ben Barnes (Shadow and Bone)
Writer: Lee Patterson (Curve) based on a short story by HP Lovecraft)
Director: Keith Thomas (Firestarter)
Untitled Episode 5
Cast: Peter Weller (Star Trek Into Darkness)
Writer: Panos Cosmatos (Mandy) and Aaron Stewart-Ahn
Director: Panos Cosmatos (Mandy)
Untitled Episode 6
Cast: TBC
Writer: Mika Watkins (Origin) based on a short story by HP Lovecraft
Director: Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight)
Untitled Episode 7
Cast: David Hewlett (See)
Writer: Vincenzo Natali (Hannibal) based on a short story by Henry Kuttner
Director: Vincenzo Natali (Hannibal)
Untitled Episode 8
Cast: TBC
Wrtier: Haley Z Boston (Brand New Cherry Flavor) based on a short story by Emily Carroll
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night)
10 After Midnight: Guillermo del Toro to present Netflix horror anthology
15th May 2018
Guillermo Del Toro is heading to Netflix to present a new anthology of horror stories
Fresh from The Shape of Water, the Oscar-winning Director is heading to Netflix for a collection of personally curated stories, which promise to be “both equally sophisticated and horrific”. The project reunites del Toro and Netflix, after three seasons of his animated series Trollhunters, as their turn their hand to live-action TV.
The filmmaker will be creator and executive producer on the series, and will write and direct certain episodes. In addition, he will hand pick a team of the genre’s best writers and exciting new filmmakers to bring the selection of stories to life.
The programme also reunites del Toro with The Shape of Water producer J. Miles Dale, who serves as executive producer, along with Gary Ungar (Exile Entertainment).
The series marks Netflix’s first original horror anthology series, at a time when compendium shows – particularly in the genre arena – are enjoying something of a revival, from Black Mirror and Inside No. 9 to Amazon’s Electric Dreams and Lore.
Del Toro, of course, is no stranger to the genre, with his previous films alternating between Spanish-language dark fantasy pieces, such as The Devil’s Backbone (2001), and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), and American studio movies, such as vampire superhero actioner Blade II (2002), comic book blockbuster Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), and the science fiction monsters-versus-robots film Pacific Rim (2013). The series also marks del Toro’s return to the live-action small screen, following The Strain.