Drew Goddard's Pagans Series Sets New York Shoot for Summer 2026 With Joshua Zetumer Showrunning

One of the more intriguing genre projects in the pipeline is picking up real momentum. Pagans, a dark family drama with a genuinely unsettling premise, is heading into production in New York City next summer, with principal photography currently scheduled to begin July 1, 2026. The series is in pre-production now, which means the window to get in front of the right people is open and actively closing. For crew based in or willing to work in New York, this one deserves your attention sooner rather than later.

The project is showrun by Joshua Zetumer, a writer who has built a reputation for material that operates in tense, morally complex spaces. Zetumer's most notable produced credit is the 2014 RoboCop reboot, but his television work is where he has developed the kind of long-form storytelling instincts that a series like this demands. The premise of Pagans centers on a grieving father raising two children alone after his wife's death, with the unsettling revelation that his daughter Alice is not quite what she seems. As the father-daughter relationship curdles from strained to something far darker, the series digs into the kind of taboo parental thoughts that most dramatic television refuses to go near. It's the sort of material that requires a showrunner with confidence and precision, and Zetumer appears to be exactly that choice here.

The producer attachment that will make industry professionals sit up is Drew Goddard. Goddard is one of the most respected writer-producers working today, with a career arc that spans prestige television and high-concept genre film in equal measure. He served as showrunner on Netflix's The Defenders-adjacent Daredevil in its first season, wrote and directed the beloved meta-horror film The Cabin in the Woods, wrote the screenplay for The Martian, and created and showrunn the critically acclaimed Netflix series Hemlock Grove precursor projects before going on to write Bad Times at the El Royale, which he also directed. His production banner, Goddard Textiles, is the vehicle behind Pagans. Goddard has a well-earned reputation for developing material that respects its audience's intelligence, and his involvement here as producer signals that this series has ambitions well beyond a conventional horror-adjacent family drama. Also producing are Andrea Massaro and Sarah Esberg, both of whom round out what appears to be a tight, experienced producing team. No casting director has been publicly confirmed at this stage, though that announcement is likely forthcoming given the timeline.

The network or streaming platform attached to Pagans has not been confirmed in the current production data, which is worth noting honestly. Given Goddard's existing relationships with major streamers and his track record producing prestige genre content, the eventual platform announcement will be a significant signal about budget tier and episode order. Productions at this pre-production stage with a summer 2026 cameras-up date are typically finalizing distribution deals concurrently with early crew hires, so the platform news should arrive well before production gets fully underway. Goddard Textiles is the confirmed production company on record.

New York City is the confirmed filming location, which is great news for the city's substantial union crew base. New York production has remained robust, supported by the state's Film Tax Credit program, which offers a 25 percent base credit on qualified production costs and has been a consistent draw for series exactly like this one. The city's infrastructure for drama production is unmatched on the East Coast, with access to world-class stage facilities including Silvercup Studios, Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, and the recently expanded Queens-based complexes. A dark, grounded family drama with this kind of psychological register will likely make heavy use of practical New York locations alongside studio work, which means a strong locations department will be essential from early in the prep period. Department heads across art, costume, and camera are almost certainly being approached now, with crew buildout expected to accelerate significantly in early 2026.

In terms of production scale, Pagans reads as a prestige limited or ongoing series rather than a procedural, and the involvement of Goddard Textiles alongside a showrunner of Zetumer's caliber points toward a mid-to-high budget tier production likely destined for a major streamer. The subject matter, a psychological family horror exploring grief and dark parental impulses, suggests a production that will lean heavily on performance and atmosphere rather than spectacle, but do not let that imply a spare production. Strong production design, nuanced costume work, and a carefully considered cinematographic approach will all be central to bringing this world to life. New York-based crew across every major department should treat this as an active opportunity worth pursuing now.

ProductionList.com carries the full listing for Pagans, including production contacts, office information, and crew list updates as they are confirmed. With a July 2026 start and a pre-production phase already underway, the hiring pipeline is live. Bookmark the listing, check back frequently, and reach out through the appropriate channels while positions are still being filled. This is exactly the kind of project where early contact matters.

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