After leading talkshow host horror Late Night with the Devil, scream king and friend of Fango David Dastmalchian (The Boogeyman, The Last Voyage of the Demeter) is making the jump into television hosting for real with a brand new show Grave Conversations, debuting this Wednesday 24 April and dropping exclusively over on Instagram weekly.
Developed by writer and producer Elan Gale, with episodes written by Bill Dixon and directed by Jacob Strunk, Grave Conversations will see celebrity guests join host and executive producer Dastmalchian for ‘intimate and profound’ 6-8 minute discussions, all while lying down in the comfort of a suitably spooky therapy couch. As a press release teases:
“Grave Conversations promises viewers an unforgettable journey into the depths of human existence, while Dastmalchian guides his guests through discussions that delve into personal reflections on mortality, legacy, and the afterlife, all while lying down in Titan caskets.”
As if the launch news wasn’t exciting enough, guests confirmed for the first, second and third episodes respectively are Flanaverse leading lady Kate Siegel (The Fall of the House of Usher, The Haunting of Hill House), filmmaker and showrunner Mike Flanagan himself (Doctor Sleep, Midnight Mass) and Scream king Matthew Lillard (Five Nights at Freddy’s, Thirteen Ghosts)
Siegel and Flanagan have already spoken very highly of their time in the box with Mr Dastmalchian, with Kate saying “I never thought I would do an interview in a casket, but now that I’ve done one, I only want to do interviews in caskets” and Mike sharing “Grave Conversations is one of the best interviews, one of the top 15 strangest conversations with David Dastmalchian I’ve ever had. Finally, my tendency to climb into open caskets was put to earnest and entertaining use.”
The man himself had this to say of the upcoming show:
“After playing a talk show host in my most recent film Late Night with the Devil, I felt myself longing to take the interview format phase of my career one step further… with caskets. The opportunity to interview my friends and colleagues presented itself with Grave Conversations, a hilarious, heartfelt, and personal exploration of some of the things that matter most in life. And death.”
And as for the caskets? Well, Grave Conversations is a collaboration between Dastmalchian’s Good Fiend Films, Gale’s TheYearOfElan Productions and Titan Caskets, who most recently partnered with Ryan Reynolds’ company Maximum Effort. Titan hope that Grave Conversations will help to open up a wider discussion about death, saying in a statement:
Grave Conversations not only represents a bold step in forwarding the discussion of the often-taboo subject of death, but also aligns with our ongoing mission to provide dignity, affordability, and transparency in funeral planning and end-of-life care. This series promises to offer a fresh perspective on the universal journey we all face, encouraging viewers to contemplate their views on mortality and the afterlife.
We can’t wait to see who the other guests lined up to join Dastmalchian in the grave are – see you over there this Wednesday!
