Warner Bros. Revives ‘Dark Shadows’ as Adult Animated Series

Warner Bros. Animation is resurrecting the tormented vampire Barnabas Collins and his supernaturally dysfunctional family with an adult animated series based on the 1960s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows.

The project was announced during the studio’s focus panel at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, with Lisa Holdsworth attached as executive producer and showrunner.

The new series continues the saga of the Collins family, blending gothic horror, supernatural elements, and romantic intrigue — all hallmarks of the original daytime drama that aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971.

The cult hit, created by Dan Curtis, starred Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins, a vampire with a conscience who became television’s original anti-hero and a template for modern bloodsuckers.

A Cult Classic Returns

Dark Shadows originally ran weekdays on ABC, amassing a devoted following and becoming the network’s highest-rated daytime series in 1969.

Over its 1,200-plus episode run, the show introduced ghosts, werewolves, zombies, witches, warlocks, and even parallel universe and time travel storylines — all treated with a seriousness that helped it transcend typical soap opera fare.

This summer marks the franchise’s 60th anniversary, and Warner Bros. Animation is capitalizing on that milestone with the adult-oriented reboot.

No network or streamer has been attached yet, but the project is currently in development.

The logline for the series promises “all the dark twists and romantic intrigue that defined the transformational series,” indicating the new show will stay true to the gothic soap’s spirit while updating it for a mature audience.

Creative Team Behind the Reboot

Lisa Holdsworth, known for her work on Channel 4’s Dreamers, Sky’s A Discovery of Witches, and the BBC’s Call the Midwife, will serve as executive producer and showrunner.

She joins a robust producing team that includes Cathy Curtis and Tracy Curtis (representing the Curtis estate), Eric Homan (Bravest Warriors), Kevin Kolde (Castlevania: Nocturne), and Fred Seibert (Adventure Time).

The announcement was made during a Studio Focus panel at Annecy, where Warner Bros. Animation executives Peter Girardi (executive vice president, alternative programming) and Shaleen Desai (senior vice president, adult series) previewed the studio’s adult animation slate.

The series joins a growing lineup of mature animated projects at the studio, though no premiere date or distributor has been announced.

Dark Shadows previously inspired several film adaptations, most famously Tim Burton’s 2012 feature starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, and Helena Bonham Carter.

The animated reboot marks the first time the franchise will be adapted into a serialized animated form, and the first new Dark Shadows television project in over a decade.