The CW has begun to develop a one-hour anthology series with Drew Barrymore and her production company, Flower Films, Deadline has reported. Titled Black Rose Anthology, the horror series is to be directed/written entirely by women.
Jill Blotevogel, one of the former showrunners of MTV’s horror series Scream: The TV Series, will also work with Barrymore as executive producer on the project and will write the pilot script.
Black Rose Anthology intends to take on classic themes of the horror genre such as guilt, jealousy, repression, insanity, sexual obsession, and survival, among others. Each episode will take on one theme and depict them on screen with a uniquely female perspective. The project is thought to have been inspired by the horror anthology film XX, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January. The film was made up of 4 horror vignettes, all directed by female filmmakers.
Slate notes that this project could be an attempt by the CW to draw back the attentions of their female audience, which has seen a notable drop-off since Mark Pedowitz took on the role of network president in 2011.
Barrymore is fresh off her Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet, in which she played a wife living in Californian suburbia who makes a sudden turn towards cannibalism. The series, which received positive reviews, was renewed for second season this past March.
No air date for Black Rose Anthology has been announced as of yet.