Television

'Ameri-Scares' Will Be A Family-Friendly Horror Anthology From Margot Robbie, Because Sure, Why Not?

Margot Robbie horror anthology
By Chris Evangelista

Margot Robbie is using her star power for good, rather than evil. The actress-producer is set to develop Ameri-Scares, a "family-friendly horror anthology with a road-trip spirit" inspired by the book series by Elizabeth Massie. The TV show is being developed for either a traditional network or a streaming service, with Robbie and her LuckyChap Entertainment teaming with Assemble Media to make it happen.Deadline has the scoop on Ameri-Scares, which sounds fun. I wouldn't picture Margot Robbie as a horror fan, but apparently she is, and that makes her extra-cool in my book. In the Ameri-Scares series, each episode "would take place in a different state and center on notorious local legends or spooky historical events."

"With Ameri-Scares we saw the perfect opportunity for us to delve into the horror space, and tell the kind of unique and scary stories we used to tell each other around the campfire or at sleepovers as kids," Robbie said. "We're excited to team with our partners at Assemble and Warner Horizon to bring Elizabeth Massie's cross-country series of thrilling mysteries and haunting folk stories to life."

"As fans of horror fiction that appeals to both teens and adults alike, we knew as soon as we read Ameri-Scares that Elizabeth had created something very special and of-the-moment," added producer Brendan Deneen. "We're thrilled to be working with LuckyChap and Warner Horizon on this spooky new series."

There are eight Ameri-Scares books so far to draw from:

  • Ameri-scares New York: Rips and Wrinkles
  • Ameri-scares California: From the Pit
  • Ameri-scares Maryland: Terror in the Harbor
  • Ameri-scares Virginia: Valley of Secrets
  • Ameri-Scares Illinois: The Cemetery Club
  • Ameri-scares West Virginia: Lair of the Mothman 
  • Ameri-scares Tennessee: Winter Haunting 
  • Ameri-scares Michigan: The Dragon of Lake Superior 

    • As the Ameri-Scares series states, "Each Ameri-Scares novel is based on or inspired by a historical event, folktale, legend, of myth unique to that particular state." I love this idea, and there's a lot of potentials to make something creepy here. Just because it's being sold as "family-friendly" doesn't mean it still can't deliver genuine scares. I look forward to seeing how this all turns out.

    Robbie can next be seen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, opening this week.

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