Julie Plec And Kevin Williamson's Dead Day Series Slashed From Peacock, But Isn't Dead Yet
Last year, as Peacock prepared to go toe-to-toe with rival services and their extensive libraries, the NBCUniversal-owned streamer announced an exciting slate of future projects. Among them were plans to adapt "Dead Day," the comic by Ryan Parrott and Evgeniy Bornyakov that sees deceased individuals return for one night to take care of unfinished business — which can mean everything from heartfelt family reunions to cold-blooded vengeance.
A bestselling comic adaptation with a killer premise going straight to a streamer known for its horror content? Sign me up! Making matters a million times better was the team behind the series: "The Vampire Diaries" co-creators Julie Plec ("Vampire Academy") and Kevin Williamson (the writer and executive producer of the "Scream" franchise) were set to reunite as writers, executive producers, and co-showrunners. But it was all a little too good to be true.
Exactly one year after announcing the straight-to-series order of "Dead Day," Peacock has opted not to move forward with its adaptation of the Aftershock comic book series. This news comes hot on the heels of Peacock canceling another Plec project, "Vampire Academy," after only one season. Not all hope is not lost, though. Variety reports that the studio is planning to shop "Dead Day" around to other outlets. Since Peacock bought the series preemptively, this will mark the first time it's been shown to other buyers.
"Dead Day" was set to follow an ensemble of characters on the magical night of the resurrection. The synopsis for the first comic volume reads:
If the dead could come back for just one night, would we want them to? Meet the Haskins, a seemingly normal suburban family, as they prepare for the annual macabre holiday known as "Dead Day" – when the deceased rise from the grave from sunset to sunrise. Some come back to reunite with family and friends, others for one last night of debauchery, still others with only one thing on their decomposing minds: revenge.
An uncertain future
In Hollywood, constant uncertainty has always been the name of the game, but lately, there seems to be even more reason for cancellation paranoia. "Dead Day" author Ryan Parrott put it best in his Twitter post breaking the news, where he wrote, "In this industry, you can never count your chickens until they've hatched, been named and apparently had chickens of their own."
Sad to announce that my comic book "Dead Day" won't be coming to Peacock despite being picked up straight to series.
In this industry, you can never count your chickens until they've hatched, been named and apparently had chickens of their own.
Rough day. https://t.co/YYAc7speF2
— Ryan Parrott (@ThatRyanParrott) January 27, 2023
That sentiment seems to get truer by the day. Peacock scrapping "Dead Day" despite a series order is in line with the recent trend of streamers and networks canceling shows despite their renewals. The most infamous examples have been coming out of Warner Bros.-Discovery, courtesy of CEO David Zaslav's cost-cutting strategies, and the general change in direction for the company's streaming content. A similar restructuring might just be happening at Peacock. The streamer is in the midst of changing its programming strategy under the leadership of Chairman Susan Rovner.
Per Variety, Peacock is apparently seeking out binge-able comedies (like the recently renewed "Bumper in Berlin" or the newly released "Poker Face") and event-series-type dramas (such as "The Best Man: The Final Chapters," which marked the first Peacock show to hit the Nielsen top 10 streaming charts).
While all of these backtracking cancellations are worth a grimace, it's not exactly hard to understand why the streamer is getting cold feet in some areas and choosing to lean into its most successful lanes. Last year, losses attributed to the streaming service totaled $2.5 billion, and the company now expects losses to total $3 billion for Peacock in 2023. Obviously, change is needed for Peacock to ensure a successful future.