The Twilight Zone will make a comeback, but not in the way most might expect. Welcome to a new dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind.
CBS has plans on rebooting the franchise as something more interactive to create a new version of The Twilight Zone that will act similarly to a choose-your-own adventure game.
The network will partner with Interlude, a digital video company responsible for interactive music videos and movies, to create a new version of The Twilight Zone that will let viewers "step in and become part of the story." Although details are vague, it seems that the plan is to create new episodes of the iconic series featuring the creepy and fantastic, which will then allow viewers to choose how the story comes out.
Each episode of The Twilight Zone reboot will let viewers watch and re-watch, making different choices each time to affect the final outcome of the story. CBS promises that the new episodes will still keep the atmosphere of the original series, but will let viewers "change and adapt the story based on what he or she feels."
The pilot episode will have Bioshock creator Ken Levine at the helm as writer and director.
Unfortunately, that's about all the details CBS will reveal at present, but it's likely that this is another step for the company into the future, and it's possible that this new version of The Twilight Zone will end up on its All Access streaming subscription service. The company already plans on bringing a new Star Trek series to the service, too, so it could be yet another selling point for the $5.99 per-month subscription the company charges for All Access.
Interlude has done interactive music videos, but this is the first time the company plans on venturing into something episodic. It also recently partnered with MGM to develop an interactive short movie based on the 1983 film War Games. That digital short will find its story based on the movie, but put the choices of the story into the hands of an audience.
There's no word yet when CBS' new version of The Twilight Zone will premiere.
