Prior to their relaunch as Freeform in January of next year, ABC Family has already begun expanded their original programming with their “becomers” demographic in mind. Freeform/ABC Family has ordered the horror tale Dead of Summer from Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis straight to series. The duo have previously created the ABC hit Once Upon a Time and wrote the Disney sequel Tron: Legacy.
Dead of Summer is about what happens when summer camp goes wrong — really, really wrong. Set in the late 1980s, school is out for the summer, and a sun-drenched season of firsts beckons the counselors at Camp Clearwater, a seemingly idyllic Midwestern summer camp, including first loves, first kisses – and first kills. Clearwater’s dark, ancient mythology awakens, and what was supposed to be a summer of fun soon turns into one of unforgettable scares and evil at every turn. Part coming-of-age story, part supernatural horror story, “Dead of Summer” is a bold, new series that mixes genres as it examines the light and dark of a summer like no other.
The show will be produced by ABC Signature Studios and Kitsis/Horowitz. As mentioned, ABC Family will become Freeform in January 2016.