Kathryn Bigelow has forged one of Hollywood’s most distinctive directing careers, becoming a trailblazer for women in an industry that has historically sidelined female directors. After nearly 30 years in the industry, she became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director in 2009. Her movies demand attention and are legendary in their own right. Her filmography includes Oscar-winning dramas like and , as well as the cult action classic . But before all of that, Bigelow made her solo directorial debut with in 1987, and now, nearly four decades later, the gritty vampire classic is getting a new life thanks to A24.
exclusively reported that one of A24's next projects will be a television series based on Near Dark. Horror lovers of all kinds who haven't seen the vampire flick need to. It has since been hailed as an iconic cult classic after being overshadowed by The Lost Boys (also a flashy vampire movie) during its initial release. Now, it's finally getting its flowers, being heralded as one of the most influential vampire films ever made.
The movie works on so many levels because Bigelow stripped away traditional Gothic tropes. There are no capes, castles, crucifixes, garlic, or holy water, and the word "vampire" is actually never even uttered in the movie. Instead, the characters are portrayed as unwashed, blue-collar outlaws and highway vagabonds roaming the dusty highways of Oklahoma.
While there are obviously many reasons to honor Near Dark and appreciate it, the late Bill Paxton also gave a standout performance as the feral, leather-jacket-clad vampire Severen. His unhinged performance, particularly during the infamous barroom slaughter scene, remains one of the most celebrated moments in 1980s horror cinema — no small feat in a year that also delivered Evil Dead II, The Lost Boys, and Hellraiser.
Few details about the series have been revealed so far, including who might star in it, who will lead the creative team, or where it could eventually land. This also isn’t the first attempt to revive the ’80s horror flick, as Platinum Dunes and Rogue Pictures developed a feature remake around 2006 with Samuel Bayer attached to direct, though the project ultimately never materialized.
In Bigelow's original Near Dark, co-written with Eric Red, Caleb’s life changes when a chance encounter with the mysterious Mae introduces him to a family of nomadic vampires. Drawn into their violent world and unable to return to his old life, Caleb leaves his human family behind as they desperately try to find him. In the original, Adrian Pasdar plays Caleb opposite Jenny Wright as Mae. The cast also included Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, and Jenette Goldstein, along with Joshua John Miller and Tim Thomerson.
Horror TV series have historically struggled to sustain long-term audiences and ratings, but A24 is giving Near Dark a chance to continue its legacy. premiering on Peacock Oct. 15, A24 is clearly making a serious push into genre television. Hopefully, the series will also introduce a new generation to Bigelow's poignant vampire tale and remind longtime fans why this unconventional classic has remained so beloved for so many years.