Keke Palmer to star in upcoming television version of The 'Burbs for Peacock

Remember the 1989 black comedy film The 'Burbs starring Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher? Well, Peacock just announced that they will be creating a television version of the film starring Emmy-winning actress Keke Palmer, who will also executive produce!

Palmer is a great actress, and it's cool to see her veering more toward genre spaces. She delivered a phenomenal performance in Jordan Peele's Nope. I'm eager to see what she brings to the table here.

The 'Burbs has received a straight-to-series order from the streaming service, meaning we can expect development to start soon. Brian Grazer (who produced the 1989 movie) and Seth McFarlane (Ted) will team up on the series reimagining, which comes from UCP, Imagine Entertainment, and Fuzzy Door. Celeste Hughey (Palm Royale, Dead to Me) is set to write and executive produce.

Per the press release, The 'Burbs takes place in "present-day suburbia" and revolves around a cul-de-sac where new neighbors disrupt the regular way of life, "bringing old secrets" to light. The neighborhood's quaint and peaceful vibe will shatter when "new deadly threats" show up to blow up the illusion of tranquility.

Even better for fans of the original film by director Joe Dante is that the series will film in the same location, specifically the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot.

The 1989 film had a similar plot, centering on the suburbs becoming disrupted by the arrival of new neighbors. In that story, Hanks plays the main character, Ray Peterson, who grows suspicious of the newcomers and starts investigating with his friends.

Given that the television show has enlisted McFarlane, who is well known for his comedy prowess, it seems like Peacock's version will also play up the comedy. Peacock has really been leaning into the horror genre lately with new series like Teacup and Hysteria! (also horror-comedy) arriving this fall, and the planned Friday the 13th prequel series still in development.