Holdovers star to lead Hostel TV series based on hyper-violent horror franchise

Paul Giamatti is set to star in a Hostel TV series, based on the gory films directed by Eli Roth.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the series serves as a  "modern adaptation" and "reinvention" of the blood-soaked horror franchise as well as an "elevated thriller." Roth is set to write the script alongside original franchise producer Chris Briggs, and will also direct.

Hostel hit theaters in 2006 and was a massive hit, earning $82 million against a budget of $4.8 million. The film follows three friends who end up on a Euro trip from hell. A sequel, Hostel: Part II hit theaters in 2007, followed by Hostel: Part III in 2011.

Roth teased the project with two posts on his Instagram account, writing, "Passports, please," and "Who else really feels like traveling?" The filmmaker told Cinepop last year that he had more ideas for the Hostel franchise, and that he wouldn't want anyone else to direct.

"They're a part of me. They're like my children. I feel like I've ignored them for too long. And I'd love to go back to them in some way. I have ideas," he explained. "I would direct it. I don't want it in anyone else's hands."

Giamatti recently took home the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role as boarding school teacher Paul Hunham in Alexander Payne's The Holdovers. He's currently filming Downton Abbey 3.

Hostel and its sequels are streaming now on Starz and Hulu. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2024 and beyond.