Storytelling in the audio format isn’t anything new. After all, the first audiobook came out in the early 1930s, with radio dramas being developed a decade prior. It remains a medium of storytelling that forces us to envision fantastical worlds with our vivid imaginations.
With podcasts gaining prominence in the early 2000s, a new generation of storytellers had a cheap, easy-to-distribute format to tell their tales. It’s only natural, then, that streaming services would eventually mine the world of podcasts for stories to bring to life—case in point,Prime Video’s upcoming horror dramedy,The Horror of Dolores Roach.
Originally hitting the internet in 2018,The Horror of Dolores Roachwill be adapted into a series through a collaborative effort by Amazon and Blumhouse Productions. The two companies have previously collaborated for a litany of horror releases in the past, from the comedic thrillerBingo Hellto the captivatingRun, Sweetheart, Run.
It’s safe to assume that this upcoming series will satisfy both fans of Blumhouse projects and those looking for something a little different. Until the series comes out later this year, this is everything we know about Prime Video’sThe Horror of Dolores Roach.
The Horror of Dolores Roach: The Plot
The official plot synopsis forThe Horror of Dolores Roachprovided by Prime Video is as follows:
“The Horrorof Dolores Roach, based on the hit Spotify podcast series of the same name, is a contemporary Sweeney Todd-inspired urban legend of love, betrayal, weed, cannibalism and survival of the fittest. Dolores Roach (Justina Machado) is released from prison after 16 years and returns to a gentrified Washington Heights. She reunites with an old stoner friend, Luis (Alejandro Hernandez), who lets her live and work as a masseuse in the basement under his empanada shop. When the promise of her newfound stability is quickly threatened, “Magic Hands” Dolores is driven to shocking extremes to survive.”
For those who aren’t aware,Sweeney Toddwas originally a story that sawa malicious barber from Fleet Streetmurder his customers before serving their bodies to a woman named Ms. Lovett. The bodies would subsequently be made into meat pies. Having said that, the parallels that can be drawn betweenThe Horror and DoloresRoachandSweeney Toddare pretty blatant.
Thankfully, with the podcast deviating away from this setup in its second season, we can expect the series to similarly take its own approach in telling a horrifying urban legend.
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Keeping that in mind, we can reasonably expect the series to besomewhat self-contained. Both the first season of the upcoming series and the podcast span eight episodes, giving us a blueprint for what’s to come.
Though each podcast episode runs under thirty minutes, we can reasonably assume some more time will be allocated to further character development, build tension, and provide a stimulating experience for more than just our ears.
The Horror of Dolores Roach: The Cast
Our title character, Dolores Roach, will be played by Justina Machado. She’s left a significant mark on several productions across multiple different mediums. While she’s immediately recognizable for her performances on HBO’sSix Feet Underand 2017’s One Day at a Time, she also lent her voice toGears of War 4and5,Tuca & Bertie, and Fox’sMurder Policeprior to the series being pulled from airing. Playing a role in one of thegreatest HBO shows of all timewill certainly give her the ability to play a compelling lead.
Alongside Machado is Alejandro Hernandez, who will be playing the role of Luis. Other than his most prominent role inNew Amsterdam,he’s also appeared in the Chicagoverse,Blue Bloods,Gotham,Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, andMonster.
If you like crime shows, chances are you’ve seen him around the block. It’ll be interesting to see what he can bring to the table alongside his tasty empanadas.
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Other cast members we can expect to see inThe Horror of DoloresRoachare Kita Updike (The Misandrists), K. Todd Freeman (The Cider House Rules, Grosse Pointe Blank), Judy Reyes (Scrubs, Smile), Marc Maron (Maron, GLOW), Jean Yoon (Kim’s Convenience, The Expanse), and Jeffrey Self (You’re Killing Me, Search Party).
Release Date
The Horror of Dolores Roachwill bestreaming exclusively on Prime Videostarting July 7. All eight episodes will be available at once.
The Horror of Dolores Roach: Everything Else
The Horror of DoloresRoachhas a particularly interesting production history. Series creator Aaron Mark originally envisioned the series as a play entitledEmpanada Loca. The play was subsequently remade intoa dedicated podcast seriesspanning thirteen episodes across two seasons.
Aaron Mark will be acting as co-showrunner and executive producer for this adaptation of his work alongside Jason Blum of Blumhouse Television, Dara Resnik, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and others.
