Hey there, mortals. Good news. The doors to Dread Manor creak open this month, and in its parlour waits Keke Palmer—producer, star, and our new reigning Madame of Dread. In this Digital Feature, we sit down for an exclusive interview with Palmer to learn more about her new horror anthology series and the character she plays at its center.

On her KeyTV YouTube channel, Palmer fully transforms into Madame Dread, a frighteningly familiar storyteller archetype who beckons viewers into eerie wraparound tales in the spirit of Tales from the Crypt and Trilogy of Terror. It’s anthology horror at its most playful and sinister—a natural next step for a performer who’s already cemented herself as a genre force with unforgettable outings like Nope and Scream Queens. And for us at Dread Central, the name feels all but destined.

It’s time to meet Madame Dread:

“It’ll be a little bit of both,” Palmer says when asked if Dread Manor is all Halloween fun or something darker. “It’s a lot of fun, but I do think it can also be scary. It takes me back to those old school shows like Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction or Tales from the Crypt, where there are satire elements, but at the end of the day, it also can be a bit spooky and just curious, mysterious, something engaging and fun to watch—and hopefully a little bit nostalgic.” Fun Fact: the series is truly a family affair—Loreal Palmer (Palmer’s sister) and Frank Wimberly (her ex-brother-in-law) both helped inspire the unique series.

Palmer’s own horror nostalgia runs deep. “It was definitely the original IT miniseries,” she remembers when talking about the films that scarred her for life. “Tim Curry is incredible. It changed how we felt about clowns in the same way that Jaws changed how people felt about sharks. But Candyman is up there, too,” she laughs, recalling the bathroom dares. “For us, just going in the bathroom and somebody forcing you to say Candyman a few times would literally give us nightmares.”

Watch the first episode of Dread Manor here:

Over time, her taste expanded. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a fan of so many different types of horror, like the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels and the campiness of those. Freddy is one of my all-time favorite villains. Him and Leprechaun. Don’t forget, at one point Leprechaun starts in—and then goes back to—the hood,” she grins.

“It became a comedy, and it was so fun. And then we have films like Sinister or the new one, Weapons, which I love,” Palmer said. “I love horror, and I’m excited about what we are doing with Dread Manor because I really want to start pursuing even more horror with different creatives I get to work with at KeyTV.”

The role of Madame Dread plays to Palmer’s instincts. “I would like to say that I have a little bit of insight. I think I have a good feel for people and situations. But also, I love storytelling. I imagine sitting around a campfire, I’m always the person saying, ‘Have you guys heard about…?’ I definitely feel like I have that in common with Madame Dread. I love bringing people into my world and taking them on a ride.”

When it comes to what scares her most, Palmer doesn’t hesitate. “Psychological horror, and also very much anything to do with children. It’s when you’re watching the sort of thing that could actually happen. Like The Strangers, or the first Black Phone. Somebody can really kidnap your kid, you know what I mean? That type of shit scares the hell out of me. The things that can actually happen. Oh no, baby.”

Jamie Lee Curtis and Keke Palmer in Scream Queens – Credit: Patti Perret/©Fox/courtesy Everett Collection

Of course, Palmer is already cemented in the horror pantheon thanks to Emerald in Nope. She knows exactly who inspired her. “Well, hands down, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode in Halloween. Genuinely, Curtis is one of my all times. I would love to get the opportunity to create and originate a franchise in the way that she did with Halloween. I think that she is just forever,” she said. “I worked with her before. I love her as a human, as an actor. I mean, for me, she’s the original of all-time favorite Final Girl. And then obviously Jennifer Love Hewitt. She can’t not be mentioned. I think the top three would be Jamie Lee, Jennifer, and Nev. You know what I mean? Those are my girls.”

Talk of Curtis naturally leads to Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy’s satirical slasher series Palmer starred in a decade ago. When asked about a possible revival, she doesn’t hesitate: “I would do it. I’m all about the material, so yes, if the writers and the creators felt that they had more of a story to tell.”

Palmer credits Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan with knowing exactly when a show is timely—and when it isn’t. “They’re very much on trend. They obviously shaped culture a lot with their shows, and so they knew that, hey, this felt like the right time for it. And I think it was the same thing when they decided to no longer do the show.”

Looking back, she thinks the show may have been ahead of its moment. “In many ways, people would say that Scream Queens felt even before its time, because I have more people who have become fans of the show after it’s been off the air. It’s been almost 10 years, which is crazy to me to even think about,” she said. “So yeah, if something else were to come up with it, I’d definitely be down. The show was satire, but it was also speaking to a lot of different things with race and culture, and horror in general. If they were interested and had the passion for it, I would definitely be—I mean, they’re talented people, so why not?”

Keke Palmer in NOPE, 2022. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

And then there’s Jordan Peele, with whom she shares an ongoing creative rapport. “I have not spoken to him specifically about a role, but I do talk to him all the time and check in. I’m so excited about HIM. Obviously, that just came out, so I mean, I feel like Jordan is just as good a casting director as he is a writer and a director. He knows who he wants and when he wants them. I feel like if there’s an opportunity for us to do something again, he knows where to find me, and I’m sure he’ll call me if there’s a role that fits.”

Now, with Dread Manor, Palmer brings it all full circle. She’s no longer just the audience member terrified of Tim Curry’s Pennywise or daring her friends to whisper “Candyman” in the bathroom mirror. She’s the host, the guide, the one holding the flashlight in the dark. Madame Dread is her invitation to horror fans everywhere: step inside, if you dare.

Check out the trailer for Dread Manor starring Keke Palmer

The series is developed by Keke Palmer and executive produced by Keke Palmer, Sharon Palmer, Lenoria Addison, Loreal Palmer, and Frank Wimberly. Loreal Palmer also serves as a writer on the project, with Frank Wimberly as co-director, and Dani Abraham as producer.

Are you ready to meet Madame Dread? We interview Keke Palmer about her new horror anthology Dread Manor and what her future in genre might look like.

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