From Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg, the modern re-imagining of The Twilight Zone (available to stream at CBS All Access, where you can also watch every episode of the original series) has Peele serving as host and narrator, in the role previously held by Rod Serling, as the anthology series explores different genres and tones in its socially conscious storytelling. Throughout its 10-episode season, it will explore the human condition in ways that are terrifying, horrific, funny and always entertaining, while it leaves you with plenty to think about.
During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, executive producer Audrey Chon talked about how terrifying it was to take on The Twilight Zone, why now is the right time to bring back the iconic TV series, how they chose and worked with the actors on developing their episodes and characters, selecting directors, what she thinks of Jordan Peele as The Host/Narrator, and whether they’d like to do more episodes in the future.
Collider: I have been so excited about the return of The Twilight Zone since it was announced, and it’s been everything that I hoped it would be, from the storytelling to the cast to Jordan Peele’s spot-on delivery as The Host.
AUDREY CHON: That’s great!
When this idea came your way, what was your reaction to it?
CHON: It’s a terrifying idea to take on something that’s so beloved and iconic. I work with Simon Kinberg, and we were both super excited about the possibility of it, but also understood the high bar of excellence the original series had. Every step of the way, we were definitely very cognizant of that, and that pushes you, across the board, from the writing to the execution of the series to every decision made. Even when you bring on someone like Jordan, there is definitely a bar of excellence that you feel like you have to hit, in order to even compare it to what Rod [Serling] did, with the original series. There’s definitely a looming shadow from the original, for sure.
Was there a moment where it goes from, “Are we really going to do this?,” to “Yes, I think we can actually do this”?
CHON: There is, but when you’re doing it, you’re like “Oh, my God, are we really doing this?!” It really wasn’t until you actually start to see episodes that it becomes more real. It’s been real exciting for our entire team to share it with people. We still feel like we’re crazy for taking it on, but it’s been very exciting and fun to see people’s reactions to the show.
Why do you think now is the perfect time to bring back The Twilight Zone?
CHON: When we started on this journey to re-imagine the show, which Simon and I started back at the top of 2016, it was actually a very different time than it is now. With the elections and so much happening around the world, and people literally saying they feel like they were in The Twilight Zone, it just became the right time. I think people are hungry for a forum to talk about issues, where they aren’t just getting told things on the news. I think Jordan Peele is a genius at doing this, in a way that you can smuggle in social ideas and provoke people to think and talk about this stuff without being so obvious.
One of the things that I really love about these episodes is that the actors in them seem to be getting to play characters that we’ve never really gotten to see them play and do things that we haven’t previously seen them do. How did this seemingly endless list of incredibly talented people end up being cast in the specific roles and the specific episodes that they’re in?
CHON: Every case was a little different. Especially with someone like Kumail [Nanjiani], you get to see him stretch his acting abilities, in a way you haven’t seen before. With that episode, Kumail had been involved from almost the very beginning of the idea’s inception. Jordan had an idea for a stand-up comedian, that evolved into what it became, but from day one, we felt like Kumail was the perfect person to play it. That was an instance where we went after him, very early on. It was something similar with the Steven Yeun episode, as well, with Greg Kinnear. What was interesting about that casting process was that we were thinking about Steven for a different role. He was real excited to do a The Twilight Zone episode and came in and was like, “You should consider me for The Traveler. I know it’s not obvious, but I think I can do it, and here are all of the reasons why.” We’re glad he pitched so strongly for that role ‘cause he really crushed it. Those are just a couple instances of casting, where the actors had a very strong opinion, or were brought in a little early. Case by case, it’s a little different. We went after people that we thought would really embody the roles the best, as we saw it written.
And kudos to whoever’s idea it was to have Steven Yeun do karaoke in that episode because that was awesome.
CHON: Well, that credit goes to Glen Morgan, who wrote the episode.
Similarly, how did you also decide on the director that would helm each episode?
CHON: It’s very different from traditional TV, in the sense that every episode is almost like a little movie or a pilot, and the tone, from episode to episode, varies a little bit. We almost treated them like little movies. Based on the tone of our episode and what kind of vision we thought it needed, we were really specific about who we went after. You can see that there’s a wide range of the type of filmmakers that we hired for the show.
The show is set up in a way where the viewer really could pick a random episode and enjoy it without having to watch the episodes before it, and without having to watch in any particular order. If you could choose how people watched the show, would you want them to watch in the episode order, the way that it’s been set, or do you feel like the episodes work as intended, no matter what order they’re watched in?
CHON: I do feel like there is some intention, in terms of the order, but at the same time, they’re really enjoyable as complete one-offs. It really depends on the viewer, but hopefully they do get to watch in the order we’re presenting them. We also wanted to reward the fans that were looking for Easter eggs. There was certainly a cross-pollination, and hopefully people are inclined to repeat viewings, so that they can catch that, as well.
There’s such a variety in the episodes, from intense and scary to social messages and themes, to just being fun and funny. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to pick favorites because that would be like picking favorite children, but is there an episode or two, or a performance, that most spoke to you, or stood out to you?
CHON: You nailed it, it really is like picking a favorite child. They are so different that it’s really hard to pick one. With something like “The Comedian,” with Kumail, it’s so extraordinary to see an actor like that stretch his acting chops. With something with “The Traveler,” there’s a message in there, but that episode is much more mischievous and fun than an episode like “Replay,” which obviously has much more of a social issue that it’s intending to tackle. Because they’re so different, it’s hard to say that one stands out more ‘cause they’re all intended to do different things.
I also love that Jordan Peele has found that perfect balance between channeling Rod Serling while also bringing his own personality to the role of The Host. There are moments where you see a twitch of an eyebrow or the hint of a smirk that wants to break though. What was it like to see what he’s done with that role?
CHON: It was interesting ‘cause there was a process to getting him to say yes to doing it. Those are really big shoes to step into. I have to say, I do feel like seeing him become The Host was the thing that made the show feel really real for us, and that we were doing our own version of it. We got a recording of Jordan’s voice, as he was playing around with doing a cadence similar to Rod’s, but obviously making it his own, as well, and it literally gave us chills. We were like, “This is crazy!” He’s the perfect person to do it. And back in December, when he was in Vancouver shooting the segments, there was something electric in the air. People were like, “Holy shit, we’re making The Twilight Zone.” It was really seeing Jordan step into those shoes and do his thing and really making the role his own. When you see that twinkle in his eye and you almost see him grinning, that’s exactly the perfect narrator. That’s the sweet spot. That’s what Rod was doing, where he was welcoming you in, but taking you on a wild ride.
Are you hoping to do more episodes of The Twilight Zone?
CHON: We just finished shooting and we’re still in post, but it’s labor of love for all of us and we’re really proud of how the show turned out, so if we have the opportunity to do more, we would certainly love to do that, for sure. It’s been a great experience, across the board, with this team and the collaboration with CBS. It’s just such a unique experience, making a TV show this way.
The Twilight Zone is available to stream on CBS All Access.
