The Crypt Keeper is coming back, and he hasn’t aged a day—though he has taken up a side gig as a DJ, from the looks of things. AMC has just announced that the wisecracking, pun-loving host of Tales From the Crypt has been resurrected in honor of the network’s annual Halloween programming, dubbed “FearFest.”
The foundation for this partnership was laid earlier this year when AMC’s Shudder brought all seven seasons of the cult-beloved Tales From the Crypt series to streaming for the first time. The series offers a delightful dose of ’90s nostalgia, with its eerie, comeuppance-laden stories populated by quite a few once and future superstars (including Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, Kyle MacLachlan, and Patricia Arquette) and who’s who of directors (William Friedkin, Tobe Hooper, Robert Zemeckis, and more). But the Crypt Keeper was always the main attraction, skewering the characters and their unfortunate choices with ruthless glee.
The inimitable John Kassir is back to voice the Crypt Keeper, so he’ll sound the same while debuting his refreshed visage, courtesy of a new puppet created by AMC mainstay Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead, Creepshow). Nicotero also directed the new Crypt Keeper segments, which the network touts as “the first new Crypt Keeper content in 30 years.”
In an AMC press release, Nicotero shared his excitement. “What a great honor and privilege to re-create this iconic character and get a chance to revisit some of his clever quips and puns with John Kassir again reprising his role,” he said. “Having the chance to recreate Kevin Yagher’s amazing puppet at my studio, KNB EFX, and get the opportunity to ‘direct him’ in a series of FearFest spots was like going back in time, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”
FearFest kicks off October 1 and includes the witchy new series Yaga (on AMC+) and the arrival of The Terror: The Devil in Silver on AMC. In addition to other AMC, AMC+, and adjacent content (including, of course, Tales From the Crypt on Shudder), viewers can check out spooky season favorites, including entries from Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Final Destination, and an array of Stephen King classics (including The Shining, Misery, Christine, the It movies, and the It miniseries starring the late Tim Curry).
There’s also a curated selection of creature features, including Gremlins, The Fly, and The Thing, plus a few unexpected selections—what’s Halloween without seeing a full deck of cruise ship passengers being sliced in half in Ghost Ship, after all? You can find the full schedule here.
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