Syfy unveils Jamie Foxx horror at Upfront

NBCUniversal-owned cable channel Syfy has ordered a Jamie Foxx-directed horror anthology series, a new Fox Television Studios drama and a trio of factual shows.

At its Upfront this week, Syfy announced Hollywood actor Foxx’s Foxxhole Productions and Universal Cable Productions were working on an untitled scripted series that “tells creepy morality tales with themes such as envy, jealousy and superficiality”.

Foxx will executive produce, write and direct the five episode series, which will launch in October as part of Syfy’s annual 31 Days of Halloween programming block.

“This is a project that I’ve wanted to do for a long time and I’m so happy to see it come to life,” said Foxx. “Get ready to lose it when some special friends and I bring the scares this October, and who knows… maybe I’ll make a guest appearance or two along the way!”

Also on the scripted front, Syfy has partnered with Fox Television Studios, Hollywood director Robert Zemeckis, producers Jack Rapke and Jackie Levine and feature film writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris on sci-fi drama No Place. Indie prodco Circle Of Confusion will produce the project with David Alpert (The Walking Dead) and Rick Jacobs as executive producers.

The series will follow a high-tech gated community that one day finds itself cut off from reality, with nothing existing outside its walls. It’s based on comic book The Test, which comes from Top Cow – another coproduction partner.

Further scripted series include a pair of miniseries adapted from sci-fi novels Ringworld and Childhood’s End, a fourth season of the US remake of Being Human and pilot High Noon.

Syfy’s new factual shows are Joe Rogan Questions Everything (working title), which follows paranormal mystery addict Joe Rogan’s quest to find startling conspiracy theories and comes from A. Smith & Co; six-parter Cosworld (working title), which comes from Endemol-owned 51 Minds and looks at ‘cosplay’ comic book costume competitions; and Fandemonium (working title), from Jersey Shore prodco 495 Productions. It follows a group of pop culture-obsessed fan boys and girls living together in an LA apartment complex.