The creative team behind Peacock's upcoming series Hysteria! has opened up about how they see the show running for Season 2 and then some.
The upcoming series, which stars the likes of Bruce Campbell (who recently cameoed in the MCU) and Julie Bown, takes place in the late 1980s when "Satanic Panic" was at an all-time high.
After the town goes through a mysterious disappearance that seems Satanic in nature, a high school heavy metal band decides to capitalize on the tragedy to gain popularity.
While they find success, things only get weirder and weirder throughout town, leading many to suspect their band is at the center of it all.
Hysteria Could Run for Season 2, 3 & 4... If Peacock Wants
In a series of interviews, The Direct spoke with the cast and filmmakers behind Peacock's upcoming show Hysteria!
While speaking with showrunner and creator Matthew Scott Kane, he confirmed that he sees the show going for four seasons, noting that he "tend[s] to think of stories in four acts:"
"I tend to think of stories in four acts. So, I tend to think of this as the first of four seasons. Whether or not we go that far, that's going to depend on viewership, that's going to depend on a lot of things that are out of our control. But I think there's still a lot more story to tell here."
Writer David Goodman added that there will be "plenty of other loose ends" for Season 2 to explore once Season 1 is complete:
"We take these characters up to the edge in this first season and then literally send them over the edge... But the story's not over. We do tie up some loose ends, but there are then plenty of other loose ends that are still loose, and you're creating a world and characters that you want to be within and that you want the audience to want to be with. So our hope is that we can keep going with this, with this Yeah, story, with these characters, with this show."
While speaking about how "the creative process" behind Hysteria! is what he's most proud of, Goodman further revealed that Matthew Scott Cane always "had a clear idea of how he thought the show's first season should end:"
"Even though Matt had a clear idea of how he thought the show's first season should end, the ways we took to get there, and the roads we went down, we realized they were dead ends and went another way. The creative process, not to sound too hokey about it, but the creative process that we did this thing, and it looks like everything was planned out from day one. "
"We found our way to a show that I think is pretty compelling and pretty exciting," Goodman continued:
"There were a lot of ideas on day one, and certainly, Matt's pilot created this world and these characters, but we went on a journey, and the idea that the journey worked and that we found our way to a show that I think is pretty compelling and pretty exciting—that's what I'm most proud of—is that we set out and we finished, and it's a really good show."
Matthew Scott Kane then discussed writing the perfect paranoia throughout the series, sharing how it was a key point in the writer's room "to trust nothing:"
"I think something that we tried to bring to the show in the writer's room was to trust nothing. There is this blurred line throughout the entire show of, wait, did this thing really happen? And what are the clues surrounding it that prove either yes or no?"
Kane further teased that there will be tons of stuff for audiences to notice on repeat viewings in the background:
"There's tons of stuff peppered in there that we might not shine a light on, but on repeat viewings, you will see--I see this thing in the background, or I see this little detail now, and I get what's going on there. We definitely took great pains to make those moments work."
Goodman described how it was "a constant conversation" to decide how far they'd go in each episode, with changes happening "right up into the editing room:"
"Deciding how far we were going to go in each episode was a constant conversation that even changed right up into the editing room. We would make changes that affected the answer to that question, too. And it's a great creative process to have the freedom to play with that and play with the audience that way."
Emjay Anthony (Dylan Campbell), Chiara Aurelia (Jordy), and Kezii Curtis (Spud) star as the lead trio in the film. They also spoke with The Direct about the series.
On their group's dynamic and chemistry in the series, Emjay Anthony revealed that they "did a lot of work to build that camaraderie," which involved arriving in Atlanta, Georgia, for "band practice:"
"We definitely did a lot of work to build that camaraderie, the band aspect. We went to Atlanta, Georgia, three weeks before we started filming for band practice. It was about a month, and it was about five hours every day of just practicing. So we really got to spend a lot of time together. I think that, for sure, helps with our chemistry on screen."
Chiara Aurelia added that they also had "a bit of improv camp" as well:
"There was also a bit of improv camp that we did as well. I think it helped us create chemistry on and off screen and now we're great friends in the show and also in real life."
For Kezii Curtis, lots of their strong chemistry was born from their original screen test:
"For me, it was from the screen test. Like, I was trying to push the envelope of how much I wanted to adlib, and Chiara and Emjay both came back with even better banter. So I was like, okay, these guys are cool."
All three are incredible leads who also get to share screentime with horror icon Bruce Campbell.
On what it was like to work with the legend, Anthony admitted that it was on his "bucket list:"
"He's just such a presence. Being able to work with him is such an honor. It was really one of [the things on] my bucket list."
"Bruce is amazing," Aurelia reiterated, describing the veteran actor as "such a wealth of knowledge and information:"
"Yeah, Bruce is amazing. Honestly, having the opportunity to be on set with him. He's just such a wealth of knowledge and information. I mean, only so many actors get the opportunity to work with someone that iconic. So I was very grateful. Just being in his presence, listening to him talk, and getting to work with him. I mean, there's just so much to learn from there. So I'm very grateful."
Curtis admitted that he "genuinely think[s] [Bruce Campbell] taught [him] a lot:"
"Bruce is a really cool dude. Like, I genuinely think he taught me a lot. He taught me a lot about scene presence and looking at scenes from every single angle of a character. But also, importantly, he gave really good, just thoughtful insight into a lot of things. So, you know, Bruce is dope. Like Chiara was saying, he's just a fountain of knowledge and will just --and it's great information. And I'm like, 'Whoa. I needed to hear that. Thank you.'"
Will Hysteria Get Four Seasons?
Four seasons for a series on Peacock is a high order.
No other Peacock originals have made it to their fourth season. The furthest along is Bel-Air, which just aired Season 3.
Of course, it's far from impossible. If the show is good (which it is) and can catch the audience's attention enough, then it could easily garner the staying power of a multiple-season run.
Not only does it help that it's led by an incredibly talented cast of fresh faces, but there are also some incredible veteran actors in Hysteria! as well: Julie Bown, Bruce Campell, Anna Camp, Garret Dillahunt, Nolan North, and more.
Hysteria! starts streaming on Peacock on October 18.
