Tales from the Crypt‘s Crypt Keeper has announced as host of the 2026 FearFest beginning October 1. This year’s slate of Halloween programming marks AMC’s 30th anniversary FearFest celebration, and Greg Nicotero recreated the puppet and John Kassir returns to voice the creature in honor of the annual event’s 30th edition.
Nicotero (The Walking Dead) directed the Crypt Keeper’s hosting segments.
“What a great honor and privilege to re-create this iconic character and get a chance to revisit some of his clever quips and puns with John Kassir again reprising his role,” stated Nicotero. “Having the chance to recreate Kevin Yagher’s amazing puppet at my studio KNB EFX and get the opportunity to ‘direct him’ in a series of FearFest spots was like going back in time, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”
The 2026 FearFest lineup includes Tales from the Crypt marathons, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Final Destination, and Insidious. Plus, the Stephen King library is represented by It (2017), IT the mini-series, The Shining, Misery, and Christine.
“FearFest has long been one of AMC’s most beloved horror traditions, and we couldn’t be happier to resurrect the Crypt Keeper as this year’s master of ‘scary-monies’ as we celebrate 30 years of FearFest. Revived by Greg Nicotero, a master of special effects and genre storytelling, the Crypt Keeper will give fans a fresh and wickedly fun gateway into our incredible horror library,” said Kim Granito, chief marketing officer for AMC Global Media. “We’re also proud to partner once again with Bacardi, a brand that perfectly complements FearFest and our celebration of the spirit, creativity, and community of horror fandom.”
YAGA starring Noah Reid, Hudson Williams, Clark Backo, and Carrie-Anne Moss will premiere during 2026 FearFest, and new episodes of The Terror: Devil in Silver starring Dan Stevens will air on Sundays.
