Tales from the Midnight Society around the campfire begin again, as Nickelodeon releases the first episode of the Are You Afraid of the Dark? reboot online, days before the official TV premiere. Produced by Matt Kaplan and Spencer Berman, the revival of the hit 1990s series will share the tale of a spooky carnival across three hour-long installments.
Created by D.J. MacHale and Ned Kandel, Are You Afraid of the Dark? broke the mold for young-adult television on Nickelodeon. Set in the same horror-themed anthology vein as The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror, each episode revolved around a group of teenagers who referred to themselves as “The Midnight Society”. Are You Afraid of the Dark? touched on a slew of urban legends and horror-themes, including ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and magic. In 2017, it was announced that a film adaptation of the series was in the works. Are You Afraid Of The Dark? the film was intended to coincide with the revival’s release date, however, the movie adaptation has been postponed indefinitely.
Early in June, Nickelodeon announced the new members for the Midnight Society. Featuring Jeremy Taylor (IT), Sam Ashe Arnold (Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever), Tamara Smart (Artemis Fowl), Lyliana Wray (Black-ish), and Miya Cech (Rim of the World) as the group sitting around the campfire, Are You Afraid Of The Dark? intends to nod to the original, while adding new twists. Last month, Nickelodeon dropped a full-length trailer for the limited series. Riddled with clowns, creatures, and carnival figures, the trailer showed a lot for the Midnight Society to contend with - and furthered anticipation. Now, submitted for the approval of generations of horror fans, Nickelodeon releases episode 1 of Are You Afraid Of The Dark? online. Watch the full video below:
Toting the iconic flickering match during the opening credits, Are You Afraid of the Dark? arrives just in time for Halloween indulgence. The three-episode series will tell the tale of “The Carnival of Doom” - with the events of the story coming to life. Rafael Casal (Blindspotting) plays Mr. Tophat, the carnival’s ominous ringmaster. Produced by ACE Entertainment, the revival is helmed by director Dean Israelite (Power Rangers) and penned by Ben David Grabinski (Happily).
Delivering a surprising and successful early release, Nickelodeon will air the second and third parts of the series on Nickelodeon on October 18 and October 25. Are You Afraid of the Dark? is arriving at the height of excitement for teen-oriented horror, with Stranger Things, Fear Street, and Goosebumps being the talk of the town. Are You Afraid of the Dark? has the potential to tell more tales and this likely won’t be the last time viewers see The Midnight Society.
Next: 5 Things Goosebumps Does Better Than Are You Afraid Of The Dark (& Vice Versa)
Are You Afraid of the Dark? premieres Friday, October 11 on Nickelodeon.
Source: Nickelodeon
