AMC Global Media has announced that the Crypt Keeper, the underground icon from the beloved 90s cult classic Tales From the Crypt voiced by John Kassir, will be the official host of this year’s “FearFest” to mark the 30th anniversary of the epic horror celebration. With presenting sponsor BACARDÍ Rum returning for a second year, the long-running annual horror and genre programming event, featuring over 650 hours of iconic horror films, franchises, new series, specials and more, kicks off Thursday, October 1 on AMC and AMC+.
Famed special effects master, AMC’s longtime creative partner and The Walking Dead director, Greg Nicotero (Creepshow, Guts & Glory) re-created the legendary puppet for a ghoulish refresh, leveraging his expertise in practical effects and creature design to update the Crypt Keeper’s signature look, movement and personality for today’s audiences. In collaboration with AMC Global Media’s Content Room, the company’s in-house branded entertainment studio, Nicotero direced the Crypt Keeper segments for “FearFest” with Kassir providing the signature cackle and wit that cemented the Crypt Keeper’s legacy.
“What a great honor and privilege to re-create this iconic character and get a chance to revisit some of his clever quips and puns with John Kassir again reprising his role,” said Nicotero. “Having the chance to re-create Kevin Yagher’s amazing puppet at my studio KNB EFX and get the opportunity to ‘direct him’ in a series of FearFest spots was like going back in time and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”
“FearFest has long been one of AMC’s most beloved horror traditions, and we couldn’t be happier to resurrect the Crypt Keeper as this year’s master of ‘scary-monies’ as we celebrate 30 years of FearFest. Revived by Greg Nicotero, a master of special effects and genre storytelling, the Crypt Keeper will give fans a fresh and wickedly fun gateway into our incredible horror library,” said Kim Granito, chief marketing officer for AMC Global Media. “We’re also proud to partner once again with Bacardi, a brand that perfectly complements FearFest and our celebration of the spirit, creativity and community of horror fandom.”
“With the iconic Bat at the heart of our brand and ‘Do What Moves You’ grounded in freedom and self-expression, BACARDÍ Rum has an authentic connection to Halloween – a moment when people are encouraged to transform, express themselves and celebrate,” said Lisa Pfenning, Vice President of BACARDÍ in North America. “As we return for our second year as presenting sponsor of FearFest, we’re thrilled to celebrate its 30th anniversary and welcome the Crypt Keeper back into the spotlight as the ultimate ghost with the most. We’re honoring everything fans love about this horror icon while bringing his signature humor and mischievous spirit to a new generation.”
In addition to marathons of Tales from the Crypt, “FearFest” programming highlights include seasonal favorites and nostalgic franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Final Destination, Insidious and the Stephen King library including It (2017), IT the mini-series, The Shining, Misery and Christine, as well as the AMC premiere of The Terror: Devil In Silver, AMC+’s new supernatural thriller YAGA, starring Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Films, Humans), Noah Reid (Schitt’s Creek, The Vampire Lestat) andHudson Williams (Heated Rivalry), plus themed marathons, such as “Fear the 80s” (Silver Bullet, Christine, Poltergeist, etc.), “Creature Feature” (Tremors, Lake Placid, Pet Sematary, etc.) and more.
The full “FearFest” schedule can be found at AMC.com/FearFest26. Original and exclusive programming highlights for “FearFest” on AMC and AMC+ include:
YAGA (AMC+ Exclusive Series)
Two-Episode Series Premiere Friday, October 23 on AMC+; New Episodes Continue Weekly until the Season Finale on November 27
Based on the hit play by showrunner and writer Kat Sandler, YAGA follows Rapp (Noah Reid, Schitt’s Creek, The Vampire Lestat), a private investigator who arrives in a small coastal town to investigate the disappearance of a young heir to a powerful fishery, Henry Park (Hudson Williams, Heated Rivalry). He finds himself at odds with an apprehensive local detective, Carson (Clark Backo, Venom: The Last Dance, Letterkenny), a charismatic university professor with a taste for younger men, Katherine (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix Films, Humans), and a labyrinth of enigmatic suspects, secret lives, and ancient magic.
The Terror: Devil in Silver (AMC Original Series Premiere)
Series Premieres Sunday, September 20 at 9:00pm ET on AMC until the Season Finale on October 25; Binge all Episodes Now on AMC+
The newest installment in the acclaimed horror anthology, executive produced by Ridley Scott, stars Dan Stevens (Legion, Downton Abbey) as Pepper – a working-class moving man who, through a combination of bad luck and a bad temper, finds himself wrongfully committed to New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital – an institution filled with those society would rather forget. There, he must contend with patients working against him, doctors harboring grim secrets, and perhaps even the Devil himself. As Pepper navigates a hellscape where nothing is as it seems, he finds that the only path to freedom is to face the entity which thrives on the suffering within New Hyde’s walls – but doing so may prove that the worst demons of all live inside him. Also starring Judith Light (Before, Out of My Mind), CCH Pounder (Rustin, NCIS: New Orleans), AasifMandvi (Evil, This Way Up), John BenjaminHickey (The Big C, Lilly), Stephen Root (Barry, Heads of State), Michael Aronov (The Americans, Operation Finale), Marin Ireland (SneakyPete, Glass Chin),Chinaza Uche (Silo), Hampton Fluker (Shades of Blue, Instant Family), b (WeCrashed, You), Hayward Leach (Tom Swift, LoveLife) and Philip Ettinger (First Reformed, I Know This Much Is True).
Tales From the Crypt
All Seven Seasons Available on SVOD Exclusively on AMC+ and Shudder
Tales from the Crypt, the popular 90s horror anthology series inspired by the 1950s EC Comics is back! Each episode is a self-contained story often featuring well-known talent and directors – and hosted by the Crypt Keeper (John Kassir), a wisecracking corpse known for his macabre puns. With its signature unrestricted gore, profanity, and dark irony, the show’s episode styles range from comedy to drama and deliver twisted moral lessons where “bad people” meet poetically horrific ends – and issues like greed, lust, and moral decay lead to tragic consequences. The series features a long list of A-list guest stars including Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, John Lithgow, Christopher Reeve, Catherine O’Hara, Steve Buscemi, Brooke Shields and many more. Several episodes have been directed by well-known talent including Rober Zemeckis, Tobe Hooper and William Friedkin, as well as acclaimed actors such as Tom Hanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael J. Fox.
The Vampire Lestat (AMC Original Series)
Full Season Available to Binge Now Exclusively on AMC+
In the latest rock and roll centric season, the Vampire Lestat (Sam Reid) goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population. The series also stars Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle.
The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC Original Series)
Season 3 Available to Binge Now Exclusively on AMC+
In season three, Maggie (Lauren Cohan)and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) finally put aside their differences to build the first thriving community in Manhattan since the apocalypse, but when chaos in the city begins to arise, they are forced to question: have they learned from their old wounds or will their dark past spell doom for the entire city? Also starring Jimmi Simpson, Raúl Castillo, Aimee Garcia, Logan Kim and Michael Emery.
