Watch Keke Palmer and ‘The ‘Burbs’ Team Talk Finding Their Own Voice While Honoring The Source Material

Adaptation is always a delicate balance. Any source material that’s recognizable enough to justify a new take is going to bring its own fans with their own expectations, but the endeavor is pointless if the artists tasked with the assignment can’t find their own perspective.

Peacock’s “The ‘Burbs” strikes that balance exceptionally well. The series is inspired by Joe Dante’s cult classic 1989 film, but it takes place in the present day with an entirely new set of characters. Much of the original film’s influence on the show is thematic, with the series conveying the same sense of dread lurking below a cartoonishly perfect suburban cul-de-sac. But fans of the movie will find plenty of references to appreciate.

To break down the adaptation process, “The ‘Burbs” star and executive producer Keke Palmer, creator Celeste Hughey, production designer Susie Mancini, and composer Michael Abels sat down with IndieWire for a panel presented by USG University.

“When you start a show that’s built off of incredible I.P. like ‘The ‘Burbs,’ you want to be able to make your own show and honor the original at the same time,” Hughey said. “It was important for me and my writers to find the Easter Eggs and nods to the movie but still have our own characters, our own storylines, and make our own world.”

While the film eventually became a reference point for Palmer, she noted that she delayed watching it in order to give herself time to formulate a character that could stand alone.

“I never even saw it,” Palmer said with a laugh when asked if she was a fan of the film before working on the show. “It really took me a second to watch it, because I wanted to make sure I was doing it justice and not just hitting too much on what it used to be.”

Watch the complete conversation with the team in the video above.

“The ‘Burbs” is produced by Universal Content Productions, a division of Universal Studio Group. It is now streaming exclusively on Peacock.