As they’ve acquired the rights to the popular found-footage horror podcast, Netflix has greenlit a series adaptation of Archive 81 and have already begun building their cast with the additions of Mamoudou Athie (Black Box) and Dina Shihabi (Altered Carbon) as leads.
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The eight-episode series, which is being showrun by Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Boys, The Vampire Diaries), will center on archivist Dan Turner (Athie) as he takes a job restoring a collection of damaged video tapes from the early ’90s, the work of a documentary filmmaker (Shihabi) who was investigating a dangerous cult. As he becomes drawn into her story, Dan becomes convinced he can rescue her from the terrifying end she met 25 years ago.
“With Archive 81, we’re hoping to give the supernatural horror genre a new twist — while keeping a dark, deeply emotional romance as its core,” Sonnenshine said in a statement. “Alongside the talented Mamoudou Athie and Dina Shihabi, and visionary partners Atomic Monster and [director/EP] Rebecca Thomas, I’m excited to take Netflix viewers on a terrifying and visually thrilling adventure.”
Archive 81 will be executive produced by Paul Harris Boardman (The Exorcism of Emily Rose), who developed the original script, alongside James Wan (The Conjuring) and Michael Clear of Atomic Monster and Rebecca Thomas, will will be directing the first half of the season, while Rob Hackett is attached as co-exec producer and podcast creators Marc Sollinger and Daniel Powell will co-produce.
The series marks the latest collaboration between Athie, Shihabi and streamer Netflix, with the former having starred in the Baz Luhrmann co-created musical drama The Get Down as Grandmaster Flash and drama film Uncorked while the latter appeared in the final seasons of Daredevil and Altered Carbon.
(Photo Credits: Getty Images)
