This article is part of IGN’s Fantastic Fest coverage, and features interviews with Teacup showrunner Ian McCulloch as well as series stars Scott Speedman, Chaske Spencer, Emilie Bierre, Caleb Dolden and Rob Morgan. This preview is spoiler-free.
Teacup, which is executive produced by horror legend James Wan, has been a series shrouded in mystery since its announcement. We know that it’s based on the novel Stinger, that it will be released in two-episode chunks throughout the month of October, that the series synopsis is a succinct “Teacup follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive," and that the series’ second trailer — which dropped alongside its premiere at Fantastic Fest — gave us a little bit more to go off of than the first.
But, even with that second trailer, there are still so many questions surrounding the upcoming Peacock series. Still, we do see a bit more of the mysterious McNab (Rob Morgan) as he draws a blue line around the Chenoweth family farm and holds up a sign saying “don’t trust anyone.” Perhaps what’s happening on the Chenoweth’s property has happened elsewhere? All we know for sure is that he seems to have more information than anyone else when it comes to why the animals are so ticked off. Except for perhaps young Arlo (Caleb Dolden) who we see warning his mother Maggie (Yvonne Stahovski) that something is coming and whatever it is kills everything that gets in its way.
While mystery is a huge part of the game here, I knew I needed to talk to the creator and cast to get more details (limited as they may be).
The first thing that you have to know about Teacup is that, at its core, it is a family story. One of the most critical aspects of contemporary horror is that the most successful stories make you fall in love with their characters before doing awful, awful things to them. Having seen the first two episodes of the series, I can confirm that Teacup accomplishes just that.
“Whether it's horror, drama, science fiction, anything, unless you care about the characters, none of it matters,” says showrunner Ian McCulloch. “You care about what's happening because you care about Chaske's character [Ruben Shanley, who] is in a situation and something horrifying happens. You're already on board with him, you already understand, and he's your avatar. You're with him, so his reaction is your reaction.”
The Shanley family is just a piece of the puzzle, though. Much of the narrative revolves around the Chenoweths. The chemistry in their small family is key here as, by the time the series shifts from mild-thriller to full-blown-horror, you’re already rooting for this dysfunctional little family to make it out ok.
“The truth is it really comes down to the writing,” says Scott Speedman, who stars as James Chenoweth. “That family dynamic was on the page, so it allowed some good actors to jump in there and get in there and do it and have that kind of chemistry to emerge."
“Everyone was just so welcoming from the top and everyone was just really focused on, ‘Yes, this is a horror thriller show, but it's really about those characters and their relationships with one another.’ So everyone was just excited to build that part of it and then add the rest of it later on,” says Emilie Bierre, who plays Meryl, the eldest daughter of the Chenoweth family.
Of course, there are some horror fans who simply want to get to the blood and guts of it all. Again, no spoilers from me, but I can say that you won’t be disappointed when it comes to the horror elements. Psychological shenanigans and gore both come into play early on in Teacup.
“I mean, it was one of those things where you're like, ‘Okay. Well, this guy, Ian,’ who I love, ‘is demented.’ He's a demented human being in the best possible way,” laughs Speedman of his showrunner.
“I'm excited for people to see how crazy it gets,” Bierre concurs.
“The practical effects and the big horror elements, they have to be connected to the humanity,” McCulloch says, reiterating why caring about the Chenoweths and the Shanleys is so critical to the narrative.
If you still feel completely in the dark, perhaps one thing I would stress is that it’s meant to be part of the fun — and you are not alone! Much of the cast haven’t even seen the show yet.
“I'm very anxious. I haven't seen anything,” confirms Rob Morgan. The most any of the cast who joined us at Fantastic Fest had seen were some scenes that they’d used for ADR (audio dubbing) later in filming. But that just added to the anticipation, as did the way they delivered scripts throughout the series. The cast only knew what was happening two episodes at a time — just as the audience will when viewing the show.
“I'm very grateful, I'm very excited for the guys to see it,” says Spencer. “I think for me, the best part is [...] tuning out and falling into the world. And Ian created such a beautiful world there that I think the audience is going to relate to that.”
Teacup premieres on Peacock on October 10 and will drop in two-episode blocks throughout the month.
