How Eli Roth Brought ‘Urban Legend’ to Life in New Anthology Series (Exclusive Video)
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With conspiracy theories and rumors running amok, it is no wonder that urban legends are more powerful than ever – and horror master Eli Roth is fully exploring the phenomenon in his new series “Urban Legend,” which premieres on Travel Channel and begins streaming on discovery+ Oct. 28.
Based on widely shared “true” stories that happened to a friend of a friend of a friend, each of the eight episodes is a mini-horror film, complete with lurking psychopaths, murderous mysteries, creepy creatures and, of course, more jump takes than your nerves can probably handle. And in Roth’s nightmarish anthology series, he showcases these modern-day folktales as you’ve never seen them before. (Watch an exclusive clip from Episode 1, “The Red Room” at the top.)
“We said, ‘Let’s just make the story be the scariest, most compelling version of that story,” Roth told TheWrap. His criteria in which of the thousands of urban legends to choose from? “It’s gotta sound nuts, but just, it is possible that it could happen,” he said.
From the tale of a scuba diver who ended up in a tree to the curse of a white prom dress to a room where a woman livestreams scenes of torture and execution to sadistic patrons, “Urban Legend” tells each like the darkest of dark fairy tales.
And with that in mind, Roth and the writers and directors of each episode did take some liberties with each legend… to make them more realistic. For example, “The Harvest,” the story of a guy whose kidney was stolen and he wakes up in a bathtub full of ice with a stitched up side. Director Jason Lapeyre didn’t want the tub full of ice.
“He goes, ‘That’s not right. It’s the organ that’s on ice. You put someone in a bathtub full of ice, why would they do that? They steal your organ and they’re courteous enough to [sew you up]? No,’” Roth said of Lapeyre. “He goes, ‘You’ll die of hypothermia if you were left in a bathtub full of ice. You’d be dead in 30 minutes. It’s the organ that has to be on ice.’”
Roth agreed with Lapeyre’s logic and gave the legend new direction.
Here’s a breakdown of the coming episodes that you’ll surely want to watch with the lights on:
“The Red Room” – Premieres Friday, Oct. 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+ — A troubled woman livestreams scenes of torture and execution to sadistic patrons in exchange for huge sums of cryptocurrency on the dark web. When her daughter is kidnapped and threatened with death, she must outwit the blackmailers, exacting bloody revenge in the process.
“The Bite” – Premieres Friday, Nov. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+ — After Rose returns home from a tropical resort, a small blemish on her face begins to grow into something out of a nightmare. Discovering that a bite from a spider has infected Rose, her partner, Ben, must race to save her from a horrifying physical and psychological breakdown.
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“The White Dress” – Premieres Friday, Nov. 11 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+ – An insecure high-schooler buys the perfect prom dress from a vintage store in the hope of impressing her crush. But when she experiences a series of ghostly occurrences, she begins to suspect the dress’ previous owner may be haunting her.
“The Choking Doberman”– Premieres Friday, Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+ – After her neighbor is brutally murdered, a woman installs a new security system in her home and adopts a Doberman for protection. But when her dog is rushed to the vet, she’s left alone to outwit the murderer, who is now targeting her.
“The Harvest”– Premieres Friday, Nov. 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+ — Newly divorced Clay uses a dating app to go on his first date in 20 years. It seems to go well until he wakes up the next morning to find that organ thieves have harvested his kidney. With his life on the line, Clay must unravel the mystery and get his missing organ back within 48 hours.
“The Creep in the Walls” – Premieres Friday, Dec. 2 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+ — Following their mom’s death, two sisters renovate a neglected house they’ve inherited from her. But when one of them suspects their mom may be haunting them after a series of unexplained occurrences, it leads to a sinister discovery.
“The Haunted Shower” – Premieres Friday, Dec. 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+ — When a college freshman accidentally uses the haunted shower everyone in her dorm stays away from, a revenge-seeking entity attached to the shower begins haunting her dreams. Can she wash clean the sins of the past before they catch up to her?
“The Scuba Diver” – Premieres Friday, Dec. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+ — When a scuba diver tests his new equipment in a lake, a freak accident launches him on a life-and-death journey to reunite with his young daughter.
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Eli Roth on Ghost-Proofing His (Maybe) Haunted Italian Villa: ‘It’s Like Living in ‘Game of Thrones’
