Disney+’s New ‘Gravity Falls’ Challenger Is Hitting the Service in a Couple of Days as Creators Discuss Horror Influences
Disney+ fans searching for their next great animated obsession have had their eyes trained on ‘The Doomies’ ever since the show’s eerie trailer arrived online and drew immediate comparisons to the beloved ‘Gravity Falls.’ Set in the sleepy coastal town of Ouimper, the series follows two best friends as they attempt to unravel a monster-filled conspiracy that has descended on their once-quiet community. The anticipation ahead of its premiere has been building steadily, and the conversation around the show has only gotten louder.
Produced by acclaimed French studio Xilam Animation, the same team behind Oscar-nominated film ‘I Lost My Body,’ in partnership with Disney Television Animation, ‘The Doomies’ is co-created and directed by Andrès Fernandez alongside artist Rémi Zaarour, known professionally as Pozla, whose distinct visual style gives the series the feel of stepping inside a modern graphic novel.
An episode called “Night of the Fishing Dead” was selected from over 2,400 global submissions to compete in the TV Films category at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, a significant early endorsement for the production.
With the premiere now days away, the team behind the show has opened up about the horror touchstones that shaped the series from the start, and some of the answers are more unexpected than fans might have anticipated. Producer Marc du Pontavice traced the concept back roughly eight years, describing a moment when he noticed how little comedy-horror content existed in animation at the time. The live-action ‘Goosebumps’ series, which brought R.L. Stine’s novels to screens throughout the 1990s, stood out to du Pontavice as the kind of spooky animated experience he had always wanted to create.
Co-creator and director Andrès Fernandez pointed to considerably edgier material for his personal compass. Speaking to Animation Magazine, Fernandez named ‘The Evil Dead 2’ as one of his biggest sources of inspiration, saying he “really wanted to do ‘The Evil Dead’ for kids.” He also pointed to ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ as a major touchstone, specifically because of its fully serialized storytelling format.
That serialization is a defining quality of what makes ‘The Doomies’ feel distinct from much of Disney’s recent animated output. All 22 half-hour episodes arrive at once, marking the first fully serialized production in Xilam’s history, with writer Henry Gifford working closely alongside Fernandez and the team to pull it off. Du Pontavice has confirmed that pre-production on a potential second season has already begun at the studio, even though Disney itself has not yet made any official announcement about the show’s future.
For ‘Gravity Falls’ devotees still hoping to one day return to the Mystery Shack, the situation remains unchanged. Disney executives have previously spoken about discussions with creator Alex Hirsch regarding a revival, though nothing concrete has been confirmed. In the meantime, ‘The Doomies’ arrives with a TV-PG rating, placing it a step above ‘Gravity Falls’ and its TV-Y7 designation, signaling a series willing to lean into slightly darker comedic territory.
Early responses from those who have seen advance episodes have been enthusiastic, with the show praised for its stellar animation, memorable monster designs, and a central mystery that keeps audiences guessing. Rather than relying on cheap jump scares, the series balances its creature horrors with the very real anxieties of being a teenager, which feels in keeping with its ‘Buffy’ and ‘Evil Dead’ influences. For those who have waited years for a supernatural animated series with genuine comedic horror ambition, does ‘The Doomies’ sound like the one that finally delivers on that promise, or are you still waiting to be convinced?
