PREMIERING OCTOBER 2016
NEW YORK – Feb. 18, 2016 – Syfy today announced that independent filmmaker Craig William Macneill (“The Boy,†“Henleyâ€) will direct all six episodes of the new limited anthology series CHANNEL ZERO: Candle Cove, which will premiere in October 2016. Universal Cable Productions will be the studio.
The six-part Candle Cove, the first installment of CHANNEL ZERO, is based on an unnerving tale written by Kris Straub that gained notoriety online as a popular “creepypasta†(user-generated horror stories that are published and passed around the internet). Candle Cove centers on one man’s obsessive recollections of a mysterious children’s television program from the 1980s – and his ever-growing suspicions about the role it might have played in a series of nightmarish and deadly events from his childhood.
“Craig is a gifted young film director whose cinematic vision will bring a unique perspective to CHANNEL ZERO: Candle Cove,†said Bill McGoldrick, Executive Vice President, Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment.
Macneill’s feature debut was “The Boy†for Chiller Films, which starred David Morse and Rainn Wilson and premiered in competition at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival.  “The Boy†is based on his short film, “Henley,†which screened as an official selection at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. “Henley†was awarded the grand jury prize for best short film at the 2011 Gen Art Film Festival and the Carmel Film and Arts Festival. His first short film, “Late Bloomer,†was screened as an official selection at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win awards at film festivals worldwide, including the audience award for best short film at the 2004 Lake Placid Film Festival. Macneill is represented by WME and The Gotham Group.
Macneill marks the latest indie filmmaker Syfy has brought aboard to direct its high profile projects. Oscar nominee Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (“Esposadosâ€) will direct the pilot of PROTOTYPE; Mike Cahill (“Another Earthâ€) helmed THE MAGICIANS pilot, and David and Alex Pastor (“Los Ultimos Diasâ€) directed the INCORPORATED pilot.
Nick Antosca (“Hannibal,†“Friday the 13th,†“Teen Wolfâ€), a novelist and screenwriter, wrote the CHANNEL ZERO: Candle Cove pilot and will serve as executive producer alongside Max Landis (“Chronicle,†“American Ultraâ€). The second, yet-to-be announced six episode season of CHANNEL ZERO will premiere on Syfy in 2017.
About Universal Cable Productions
Universal Cable Productions (UCP) creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across media platforms for domestic and international distribution. In the U.S., UCP’s programming can be seen across various networks including the Golden Globe award-winning drama “Mr. Robot,†“Colony,†“Playing House,†“Royal Pains†and “Suits†on USA Network; “The Magicians,†“12 Monkeys,†“Hunters†and “Killjoys†on Syfy; “Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce†on Bravo; “The Royals,†on E!; “Difficult People,†on Hulu; and “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome†on Machinima Prime/YouTube and Syfy. UCP’s content library includes critic and fan favorites such as the Emmy-award winning “Monk†as well as “Psych†and “Battlestar Galactica.†Universal Cable Productions is a part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. Follow us @UCPisTV.
About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)