“Our whole thing is authenticity. We know that there is a very dedicated audience behind this franchise, so if we’re going to do it, if we’re going to bring Crypt Keeper back, we want to do it right,” DiGiacomo said.
Crypt Keeper is known for showing up in different sketch situations, such as taking on the role of a creepy Santa Claus or acting like a barber with towels hot enough to melt someone’s face off. This time, Crypt Keeper is coming back as a cocktail-loving DJ to work within the Bacardí theme, and you may even see some of the signature Bacardí “Spookito” cocktails on display, which are a mojito with a bloody grenadine twist.
AMC also noted that utmost care was taken with his look and in walking the line so the content didn’t feel too commercial.
“If I’m a fan and I’m watching Tales From the Crypt on Shudder, and I get fed this content, am I going to call that out as an ad, or am I going to actually take that as real content?” DiGiacomo said. “Across the board, no matter who the advertiser is, no matter what the platform or the IP is, that’s first and foremost when it comes to partnerships.”
Regarding Crypt Keeper’s slightly updated look and attire, DiGiacomo noted it came down to relying on experts like Nicotero and the creative team being fans themselves.
“One of the secret sauces we have and something that we talk to brands about a lot is that we’re all fans too, which really makes a difference,” DiGiacomo said. “The people on my team who are working on this project are fully leaned in, and are fans of the genre and the series itself.”
Cryptic future ahead?
Fans can obviously be opinionated around iconic IP, and though there are detractors about the Crypt Keeper’s updated look, there are also plenty of supporters. And AMC and Bacardí noted that there’s been positive feedback both internally and externally.
“Consumer feedback has been great. We’ve been watching the comments. People are excited to bring him back. They’re excited that the show is being rerun,” Pfenning said.
So what happens next? Will the Crypt Keeper return? Could there be more Tales From the Crypt episodes in the future?
