SYFY’s upcoming horror drama Revival kicks off with a bang-literally. The first five minutes, revealed exclusively at IGN Live 2025, are a chaotic, unforgettable ride where the dead don’t just return… 
they sprint back in flames. But forget everything you know about zombies-these ‘Revivers’ aren’t decomposed or mindless. They’re eerily just as they were in life, making their sudden reappearance more disturbing than any groaning corpse could be.
Based on the critically acclaimed comic by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton, which ran from 2012 to 2017, Revival brings the eerie town of Wausau, Wisconsin, to the screen in a genre mash-up that feels like Fargo crashed into The Leftovers with some Mare of Easttown family drama sprinkled on top.
The pilot’s opening is faithful to the comics for a reason. Showrunner Aaron B. Koontz explained, “That scene hooked us from day one. It’s not just an intro-it’s a hidden key to the rest of the series. Watch it again after a few episodes. You’ll see what I mean.”
One unforgettable moment is when a dead body, already cremated, comes back mid-cremation, bursts out of the furnace, and stumbles down the street ablaze. No CGI here-this was all done practically. “We actually lit someone on fire,” Koontz laughed. “We wanted authenticity. But we did feel bad-we basically hijacked every EMT in town for the shoot!”
Enter Randy, the crematorium owner played hilariously by Graeme Barrett. Koontz scouted him via Instagram and knew immediately he’d nail the tone: dry, offbeat, yet grounded in a surreal reality. “He’s not even a main character, but his scene sets the emotional dominoes in motion,” Koontz added. It’s a clever narrative device that flows right into the dysfunctional Cypress family-Revival’s emotional core.
Despite the undead premise, Koontz emphasizes that Revival isn’t about grim horror. “It’s scary, yeah, but it’s also weird, funny, and human. It’s a small-town drama where the dead just happen to return.” With a cast featuring genre veterans like Melanie Scrofano, Steven Ogg, and CM Punk, the show promises both emotional depth and freaky fun.
Revival premieres June 12 on SYFY and hits Peacock the week after. Whether you’re here for fire-walking corpses, offbeat Midwest humor, or a mystery that hides deeper layers beneath every line, this one’s worth your watchlist.
5 comments
in b4 sin. nah but fr, this bout to go hard
bruh randy deserves his own spin-off 😂 cremator turned town hero
finally a zombie show that ain’t just walking corpses moaning and groaning. these people TALK. that’s way creepier
that opening reminded me of old-school horror-no CG junk, just real heat. 🔥 mad respect
yo that fire guy scene?? nuts. i was like 😱🔥