Amazon Studios Greenlights Series “The Horror of Dolores Roach” from Blumhouse Television, Spotify’s Gimlet, and GloNation Studios

Amazon Studios today announced that it has ordered the new series The Horror of Dolores Roach from Blumhouse Television, Spotify’s Gimlet, and GloNation Studios, with Justina Machado starring in the title role. The Horror of Dolores Roach will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The eight-episode, half-hour series – based on the hit Gimlet podcast series of the same name – is a contemporary Sweeney Todd-inspired tale of eat or be eaten; a macabre urban legend of love, betrayal, weed, gentrification, cannibalism, and survival of the fittest. Aaron Mark, who wrote and directed the original podcast, and Dara Resnik will serve as co-showrunners and executive produce the series, alongside Gloria Calderón Kellett and Roxann Dawson, who directed the pilot.

“After eight years living with the indomitable Dolores Roach in multiple forms, I could not be more thrilled to be bringing her to life on television with this powerhouse team,” said Mark.

“We at Amazon Studios fell in love with this story along with everyone else as the podcast captured listeners. We couldn’t be more excited and fortunate to be working with such world-class creatives to bring Dolores Roach to screen in what is sure to be a captivating series,” said Marc Resteghini, head of development, Amazon Studios.

“Dolores Roach is exactly the type of fresh, bold, and completely unique storytelling that Blumhouse is passionate about making. Audiences will soon see why this modern-day horror story with a darkly humorous twist is just so special,” said Chris McCumber, president of Blumhouse Television.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the teams at Amazon Studios, Blumhouse, and GloNation to bring Spotify/Gimlet’s fan favorite, The Horror of Dolores Roach, from podcast to screens. The complicated story of Dolores Roach, colored by the bustling soundscape of New York City, not only lends itself to immersive audio but also rich storytelling. We’re honored to have this action-packed adventure of Dolores Roach, voiced in the podcast by Daphne Rubin-Vega, and portrayed in the series by Justina Machado, exist in audio and on the screen,” said Lydia Polgreen, managing director of Spotify’s Gimlet.

Dolores Roach is released from prison after 16 years and returns to a severely gentrified Washington Heights with $200 and the clothes on her back. Her boyfriend missing, her family long gone, Dolores reunites with an old stoner buddy, Luis, who gives her room and board and lets her give massages for cash in the basement under his dilapidated storefront, Empanada Loca, the only remnant of her former life. When the promise of her newfound stability is quickly threatened, “Magic Hands Dolores” is driven to shocking extremes to survive, and in the face of unexpected professional success, Dolores and Luis become dangerously symbiotic, and Luis must unleash his own peculiar predilections. Justina Machado (One Day at a Time) stars as the titular character. Alejandro Hernandez, Kita Updike, and K. Todd Freeman also star.

Executive producers include Daphne Rubin-Vega, Roxann Dawson (who also directs the pilot), Jason Blum, Chris McCumber, and Jeremy Gold for Blumhouse Television, Dawn Ostroff, Mimi O’Donnell, and Justin McGoldrick for Spotify, Gloria Calderón Kellett, Aaron Mark, and Dara Resnik.

The Horror of Dolores Roach was originally created by Mark as a one-woman play, Empanada Loca, starring Rubin-Vega with LAByrinth Theater Company (founded in 1992 as The Latino Actors Base) at New York’s Bank Street Theater. Rubin-Vega reprised her role in the podcast. Mimi O’Donnell, former artistic director of LABryinth produced the play, and produced the two season podcast series for Gimlet Media

About Blumhouse

Blumhouse is known for pioneering a new model of studio filmmaking: producing high-quality micro-budget films and provocative television series. Regarded as the driving force in the horror renaissance, Blumhouse has produced over 150 movies and television series with theatrical grosses amounting to over $4.8 billion. The company has produced iconic, genre, film franchises like Halloween, Paranormal Activity, The Purge, and prolific films like Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man; Glass, The Visit and Split from M. Night Shyamalan; Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman; Get Out from Jordan Peele; among several others. Blum’s television company operates in horror programming – with streaming anthology series like Welcome to the Blumhouse for Amazon and a slate of horror/thriller films for Epix – and has also expanded beyond genre with provocative and acclaimed scripted and unscripted series and documentaries, such as The Good Lord Bird, starring Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke, for Showtime; The Loudest Voice, starring Golden Globe winner Russell Crowe for Showtime; A Wilderness of Error (FX); The Jinx for HBO; A Secret Love, from executive producer Ryan Murphy, for Netflix; and lauded HBO series Sharp Objects, starring Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson, among others.

About Spotify

Spotify is the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service with a community of more than 381 million Monthly Active Users and 172 million Premium Subscribers. With a presence in 184 markets, and more than 70 million tracks including 3.2 million podcast titles, it has transformed the way people access and enjoy music and podcasts.

About GloNation Studios

GloNation Studios is a television and film production company founded by acclaimed producer, writer, director, and performer Gloria Calderón Kellett. The proud daughter of Cuban immigrants, Calderón Kellett has become a preeminent voice in Latine storytelling and is recognized across the industry as a champion for women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. Using her work as a tool to unite us as an audience, Calderón Kellett has focused GloNation’s efforts on creating content centered around BIPOC voices that defies stereotypes and paves the way for underrepresented groups in front of and behind the camera. GloNation Studios’ current projects include the Amazon Original series With Love, which launched December 17th to rave reviews. The company also has several projects in development, including the feature film We Were There Too for HBOMax, which Calderón Kellett will write and produce with Natasha Rothwell and GLOWING UP a half-hour adult animated comedy, based on the graphic novel Mismatched (a modern-day adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma) which is being written by Debby Wolfe & Marcos Luevanos and co-produced by Will Graham and his Field Trip banner. Past credits include the beloved reimagining of One Day At A Time, which ran for four seasons and was a critical darling throughout its run.

About Amazon Studios

Amazon Studios is the home for talent, creating and producing original films and television series for a global audience. Original series premiere exclusively on Prime Video, which is available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Amazon Studios also produces and acquires original movies for theatrical release and exclusively for Prime Video, in addition to producing Original content for IMDb TV, Amazon’s premium free streaming service.