We were already excited about Jordan Peele’s upcoming version of The Twilight Zone. Sure, it’s going to only air on CBS’s streaming service, All Access, and that’s not necessarily ideal. And yes, there have been other remakes of Zone with varying degrees of success (I see you, Forest Whitaker). Still! It’s Jordan Peele, horror’s new master, taking on the most iconic and important horror series of all time. If that doesn’t get your little black heart beating quickly, nothing will.
We now have more reason to be pumped for the upcoming show: Peele himself will be hosting. He was already the producer and would obviously partake in writing episodes but now he will also be the man who introduces every episode, just like the iconic Rod Serling. Is this a brilliant choice? Yes, yes it is. Not only is Peele one of the most buzzed-about personas in horror today, he’s also a supremely talented writer/director and, perhaps most importantly, a Twilight Zone superfan. If anyone can do this show justice, it’s him.
Some people feel The Twilight Zone should never be remade, untouched for the ages. However, it’s a show that can theoretically live forever. It’s episodic, it’s deeply satirical and packed full of social commentary and allegory. It’s a show that holds a mirror up to humanity and confronts it with ugly truths. That’s the type of series that’s always appropriate, especially right now. Peele has already proven he can create genre fare that’s deep, meaty and has something to say. He will have a chance to do that weekly when his hosting duties begin in 2019.
Here’s a tease of Peele’s narrating skills at work:
— Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) September 20, 2018