The ‘Talk to Me’ spinoff series is coming to a headset near you.
Meta and XRTV are partnering on the currently untitled series, which will consist of six half-hour episodes. According to a press release, the show will be about “a group of young travelers chasing the ultimate party on a European island until they discover a paranormal hand more deadly than any drug,” and the show is also described as “the ‘euphoria’ of possession.”
As for the high-tech twist, it’s created exclusively for the Meta headset and shot entirely in 3D, resulting in a fully immersive XR experience that will make horror fans feel like they’re experiencing the horror. “The live-action series will also utilize cutting-edge mixed reality technology to map the viewer’s environment and immerse them in the story,” the announcement details.
Officially set in the world of Talk to Me, the series is the brainchild of Darren Brundle (The Girl in the Woods) and Trent Atherton (The Wheel). Atherton is writing six episodes.
Director Craig William McNeil (Them, The Terror, Castle Rock, Westworld) will helm all episodes.
Danny and Michael Philippou’s Talk to Me was a Sundance sensation, sparked a bidding war, and was a hit when A24 released it in 2022, grossing more than $90 million worldwide and becoming the company’s highest-grossing horror film ever. A full-length sequel is currently in development.
Executive producers include Darren Brundle and Jack Davis (XRTV), The Philippos (Rakka Rakka), Samantha Jennings and Christina Seiton (Causeway Films), Andreas Michael Wentz and Juan Antonio Cano Trujillo (Sir Films), and Meta producer Jeff Rich.
“The promise of XR is the idea that you can map a story to your space and feel like you’re in that space,” Darren Brundle, co-founder of XRTV, said in a statement. “This is a huge improvement over the 3D, immersive shows we’ve been creating in the past, because now the canvas is your living room. Its superpower is immersion: the fear of moving, the unsettling feeling of having the devil in your room with you. ‘Talk to Me’ is the perfect immersive IP because… It’s a story about young people who seek the Hand and experience the euphoria of possession, but end up suffering as they break through to the spirit world. It makes possession fun, and the horrors are unforgettable, but you’ll want to be possessed, too. With Meta’s new technology, you’ll believe it for the first time.”
XRTV is a new venture from Crypt TV co-founders Darren Brandl and Jack Davis, and will serve as a studio in partnership with original film producers Causeway Films and Racka Racka. XRTV focuses on immersive storytelling including 3D, AR, VR, MR, and spherical screens.
“This breakthrough technology breaks new ground and we are thrilled to be working with world leaders Meta and XRTV,” Causeway Films executive producers Samantha Jennings and Christina Seiton said in a statement. “The ‘Talk to Me’ concept fits perfectly with the exciting possibilities of a new kind of immersive storytelling, and we can’t wait to see the results.”
