With its latest endeavor, Shudder hopes to send fresh chills down the spines of its subscribers. The SVOD service, launched in 2014 by AMC Networks, has unveiled its first slate of original programs and has premiered the first of those shows, titled Primal Scream.
Shudder is aimed at horror fans, and its original programs — which were announced six days before Primal Scream’s arrival — fit neatly into that genre. Primal Scream, for example, is a hybrid documentary/horror series that delves into human psychology to figure out what exactly makes scares compelling as entertainment. Its creator, Rodney Ascher, is known for his documentary Room 237, which explored Stanley Kubrick’s classic film The Shining.
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“Fear, obsession, and people’s attempts to understand these things are a particular focus of mine,” said Ascher in a press release. “Shudder was a fantastic partner and they gave me the freedom to dive deep into this new rabbit hole. I’m thrilled to present Primal Screen on a streaming service that showcases an expansive collection of Mario Bava films, a wide selection of horror-documentaries and a great variety of thrilling entertainment.”
Those pieces of content Ascher refers to don’t come for free. Instead, Shudder subscribers pay $4.99 per month for access to a library of horror films and series. The service’s execs view the development of originals as a “natural progression,” according to the press release, and Shudder has developed four more projects that are expected to join Primal Screen in the near future. Details about the entire slate can be found via The Hollywood Reporter, and current subscribers can check out the first episode of Primal Screen right here.
