Posted in: TV, Warner Animation Group | Tagged: dark shadows

Dark Shadows Set for Adult Animated Series Adapt From WB Animation

Warner Bros. Animation announced it is adapting Dan Curtis' cult classic Dark Shadows into an adult animated series for its 60th anniversary.

Published Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:37:09 -0500

by Tom Chang

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Article Summary

Warner Bros. Animation is reviving Dark Shadows as an adult animated series timed to the gothic franchise’s 60th anniversary.
The new Dark Shadows will continue the Collins family saga, mixing gothic horror, supernatural drama, and romantic intrigue.
The project was unveiled at Annecy 2026, where Warner Bros. Animation previewed its growing slate of adult animation series.
Lisa Holdsworth will serve as showrunner and executive producer, with Cathy and Tracy Curtis among the producing team.

Just as director Tod Browning and star Bela Lugosi solidified vampires in cinematic culture in 1931's Dracula, Dan Curtis and star Jonathan Frid did the same for TV in the 1960s-70s gothic soap Dark Shadows, with the latter playing vampire and anti-hero, Barnabas Collins. On top of the series' original ABC run of six seasons from 1966 to 1971, the franchise would spawn two feature films in 1970 and 1971, a 1991 TV remake for NBC, a 2004 remake pilot, a 2012 feature adaptation from Tim Burton, and several spin-off novels, audio dramas, and comics. Now, Warner Bros. Animation is looking to resurrect Barnabas for a new generation in an adult animated series adaptation as part of the series' 60th anniversary.

Dark Shadows: WB to Adapt Curtis Franchise as Adult Animated Series — Cr: Warner Bros Animation

Dark Shadows: The Animated Series: What We Know

The new Dark Shadows was announced during a Studio Focus panel at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where Warner Bros. Animation's Peter Girardi (Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming) and Shaleen Desai (Senior Vice President, Adult Series) previewed the studio's current adult animation slate. The series synopsis is described as "continuing the saga of the Collins family. Blending gothic, horror, and supernatural genres, this coming adaptation promises all the dark twists and romantic intrigue that defined the transformational series across its 1200-plus episode run." Acting as showrunner/executive producer is Lisa Holdsworth, and joining her as EPs are Cathy Curtis, Tracy Curtis, Eric Homan, Kevin Kolde, and Fred Seibert.

WBA has been busy with several projects across multiple platforms, including TV shows Bat-Fam, Batman: Caped Crusader, Batwheels, Creature Commandos, DC Super Powers, Get Jiro!, Keeping Up with the Joneses, Krypto Saves the Day, Mister Miracle, My Adventures with Green Lantern, My Adventures with Superman, Starfire!, and Teen Titans Go!. As for its film output, the studio released The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim with New Line Cinema in 2024, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie with Ketchup Entertainment in 2025, and Teen Titans Go! to the Movies in 2018. One of their upcoming releases for home video will be Batman: Knightfall.

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