A cult classic monster film could be finding new life on Syfy.
The network announced it has ordered a pilot for a TV series based on 1990’s “Tremors,” starring Kevin Bacon.
The actor has signed on for the project, reprising the role of Valentine McKee, a handyman-turned-hero who battled killer Graboid worms in the original film.
The pilot is being written by executive producer Andrew Miller, who most recently developed The CW’s “The Secret Circle.”
“This is the only character I’ve played that I’ve ever thought about revisiting. I just got to thinking, where would this guy end up after 25 years?” Bacon said in a statement via the network. “Andrew Miller has a fantastic take on it and we hope to create a show that will be fun and scary for fans of the movie and folks that have yet to discover it. Let’s kick some Graboid ass!”
Bacon is also on board as an executive producer.
The project is being made in association with horror producer Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions.
In the pilot, which the network will use to determine whether it wants to order a full season of the series, the Graboid worms make a return to Perfection, Nevada and once again threaten to destroy it. Valentine is back to help defeat them, except now, “to do it again he’ll have to overcome age, alcohol and a delusional hero complex,” according to a description.
The original film also starred Fred Ward, Finn Carter, and Reba McEntire. But no other cast members or returns have been announced.
“Tremors” took in a modest box office gross in the ’90s but lived on among cult horror film-lovers. The movie spawned four direct-to-video sequels and a short-lived TV series.
Syfy’s attempt to revive the brand is in keeping with a trend that has seen networks try to give genre film properties second life on television.
Starz is going into its third season of “Ash vs. the Evil Dead,” HBO’s “Westworld” is an Emmy contender and Fox is prepping a second season of its show based on “The Exorcist.”
