SDCC: Greg Nicotero revealed a unique connection to the 1982 ‘Creepshow’ production

Creepshow showrunner Greg Nicotero has a unique connection to the 1982 ‘Creepshow’ production and it’s going to make you smile.

When Creepshow showrunner Greg Nicotero spoke with the media at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday he spouted the typical producer schpiel — how great the production has been, how interesting and different the remake will be and, of course, why we should all watch. But when he stumbled into revealing his unique connection between himself and the 1982 version that’s when the real magic happened.

"“But you know, for Creepshow, you know, the crazy thing is it was the first movie that I ever visited,” Nicotero said. “When I was 16 years old my uncle was an actor in Pittsburgh, and he was in The Crazies. So I happen to like run into George Romero, we’re on a family vacation, and, And I went ‘Hey, you know, my uncle was in The Crazies.’  And he was like, ‘Oh, yeah, great.’  And I was 15 at the time.  And they were starting to shoot Creepshow and he invited me to come to visit. And it was a half-hour from my house.So I, I literally drove my car, and I pull up in the parking lot. And there’s like a gymnasium and like an old school band in school. And it was like not what a movie studio would look like.  But I walked into the gymnasium and there were all these flats.  You know, like movie flats, and struts and guys banging hammers and stuff.And I remember I didn’t know where to go and I turned a corner and I walked in, and I was on the university set with the steps where the creature was under.  And I’ll never forget the feeling of going from one world to another, like you, I walked into the set, and I turned around, and I was in I was transported.And I was like, Holy f–k, like that.  You can get a job and do that, like, build sets.  And it was such a fascinating experience that I visited a lot.  And George and his wife at the time, were like, ‘hey, do you want a job?’ and I’m like, ‘but I’m a kid, like, I don’t know.’  So I turned down a job on Creepshow.”"

It was that moment and that experience that really pushed Nicotero to seek out and hire much of the old crew when he decided he’d reboot Creepshow.

"And I feel like I’m, I’m paying it forward because I hired Tom Savini and I hired John Harrison, who wrote the music, John Harrison was the first AD on Creepshow.  And I hired him to write and direct and I hired Rick Catizone who did the animation and I feel like, just like George who had this group of people that he used on all of his movies. It’s like, I feel like now that’s my opportunity.So in terms of it being as authentic as it can be …  I feel like I have an obligation to George. His daughter Tina came and visited the set  and she was like ‘dad would be so proud of you right now.’  And I almost I was a lot of times when I felt him and his presence and like I turned around to look, and there’s Tho, me and John. You guys were there when they did this for real and now we’re here again so that makes me super proud.”"

Creepshow will air on Shudder starting Sept. 24. It will run over the course of six weeks and include 12 unique stories.