Weird NJ Is About To Become A TV Show – Strangeness Pays Off – West Orange, NJ Patch
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Who says it doesn’t pay to be weird?
For decades, Mark Moran of West Orange and Mark Sceurman of Bloomfield have been documenting some of the strangest happenings and local attractions in the Garden State with their odd-but-beloved magazine, Weird NJ. Past issues have delved into local lore and attractions such as the Jersey Devil, Lucy the Elephant, Clinton Road and the “Hookerman” Lights, and have explored everything from UFO sightings to abandoned Nike missile silos.
Now, that treasure trove of weirdness is about to become a television show.
On Monday, Deadline reported that Sony Pictures Television has purchased the rights to the Weird NJ magazines and broader Weird U.S franchise for development as a live-action horror-comedy series. The show will reportedly use material in the magazine and books to create a backdrop for its original characters, an estranged family that is forced to band together to protect the Garden State – and the world – from supernatural forces.
“As far as what Sony plans to do with the content, we have no idea,” Sceurman told Patch.
“After traveling New Jersey for over 30 years, we’ve seen a lot of strange things, but even stranger are the people we come across,” Sceurman said. “I’m sure it will be character driven, with any locations being the backdrop for the plot. We will just be pulled in for consulting and locations if needed.”
It’s difficult at this point to say what sites or stories might be included in the show, Moran agreed.
“We gave the writers 30 years of collected material to choose from to help inspire the writing of the program,” Moran said. “So far, we’ve only seen the first draft of the pilot episode though, and that is still a work in progress. So, which Weird NJ tales, people and places might eventually make their way into the final scripts is still up in the air. But there is certainly no lack of good strange stories and downright weirdness to draw from, that’s for sure.”
“We’ll be just as eagerly anticipating seeing what makes the final cut ourselves as the rest of the audience,” Moran added.
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