Associate Professor of Writing, Head of the Fiction concentration and horror virtuoso Victor LaValle '98 has adapted his novel The Devil in Silver into a six-episode limited series with AMC+ and Shudder. The third installment of horror anthology The Terror, The Devil in Silver will premiere on the platform May 7, 2026 and play on the AMC channel later this year.
The Devil in Silver is set in Queens's New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital, where Pepper—a gruff moving man—gets wrongfully committed. The neglected facility houses those pushed to the margins of society and is haunted by a creature hidden behind a silver door who feeds on the suffering of the residents. To escape, Pepper must face the demons harbored inside the facility and inside himself.
The team who adapted the novel to the screen includes Ridley Scott as executive producer and the showrunners Karyn Kusama (Yellowjackets, Jennifer's Body), Chris Cantwell (Halt and Catch Fire) and LaValle. Dan Stevens, best known for Downton Abbey and Abigail, stars as Pepper.
Described as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest meets the Greek myth of the Labyrinth, The Devil in Silver is a suspenseful, psychological journey into the unknown corners of society and the mind.
"This series is at once a grounded and real story of a man encountering those forgotten by the world and those he has neglected himself, all while arriving at a life-or-death crossroads where he must face the Devil without and within…and what does victory look like in a world of broken systems, and preyed upon people? What kind of hero is needed?" Cantwell told Variety. "I am thrilled to be returning to AMC and honored to be working with a writer like Victor."
In her review of The Devil in Silver for Columbia News, Rebecca Shapiro writes "How can this system continue day after day, Pepper finally begs the elusive doctor, with no checks, no consequences, no questioning? How has it gone unnoticed that the system isn’t helping anyone? 'The system,' the doctor replies, 'is working exactly right for those it was intended for.'"
LaValle is no stranger to television. His celebrated novel The Changeling was adapted by Apple TV+ to acclaim, earning two nominations in the Television category of the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards.
After its premiere on May 7, AMC+ will release new episodes of The Devil in Silver each week on Thursday.
