Widow's Bay: Stephen King and Donald Glover inspired Apple’s intriguing new thriller
SOURCE:Polygon|BY:Jake Kleinman
In an exclusive interview, creator and showrunner Katie Dippold unpacks her upcoming horror-comedy Widow’s Bay
Apple TV has become synonymous with high-concept science fiction, from breakout hits like Severance and Pluribus to critical-hit fan-favorites like Foundation and For All Mankind. In 2026, can the streamer do the same for horror? One new series, arriving later this spring, looks particularly promising: Widow’s Bay.
Created by Katie Dippold (Paul Feig’s co-writer on 2016’s Ghostbusters) and based on the spec script she wrote to get a job on Parks and Recreation, Widow’s Bay is a horror-comedy. It also sounds like what you might get if Stephen King wrote an episode of Atlanta — both of which are unabashed influences for Dippold.
“Atlanta really showed me all the different things you can do with a comedy TV show,” she tells Polygon via email. She similarly compares the series to monster-movie classics like Jaws and An American Werewolf in London, along with the work of Stephen King.
Widow’s Bay stars The Americans’ Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis, mayor of the titular town, located on an isolated island 40 miles from the New England coastline. While his biggest challenge appears to be bringing reliable internet service to the dwindling community, rumors of a town curse also persist. These supernatural superstitions suddenly become terrifyingly real, just as Tom figures out a way to bring tourists to Widow’s Bay.
The series is executive produced by Hiro Murai (Atlanta), who directs five episodes. The others are directed by Ti West (the X horror trilogy), Sam Donovan (Severance), and Andrew DeYoung (director of Friendship and The Chair Company). Dippold is showrunner and an executive producer.
As part of our 2026 preview, Polygon checked in with Dippold to find out what Widow’s Bay is really all about. Check out the interview below.
Katie Dippold is the creator and showrunner of Widow's Bay.
Image: Apple TV
Polygon: How would you describeWidow’s Bayto a friend to convince them to watch it?
Katie Dippold: To put it simply: It’s about the mayor of a New England, blue-collar island town trying to bring in tourism. But [the town is] haunted. I’d tell a friend that [the series is] funny, but also legitimately scary. I think it captures the feeling of going to a haunted house on the boardwalk in the summertime — except the performers inside that haunted house are the best actors you’ve ever seen.
What are the bigger themes at play inWidow’s Bay****?
Widow’s Bay seems like an idyllic town, but there’s something lurking beneath the surface. You’re slowly discovering what’s really going on in this town and [learning] its horrendous history. Stories that once sounded ludicrous, we realize actually happened, and any of it could happen again.
As someone who’s been in therapy forever, I’m drawn to stories where someone is forced to come to terms with the many horrors they’ve been avoiding. I’ll just leave it at that.
How did Hiro Murai become a key part ofWidow’s Bay****? Do you see any similarities between this show and his other work as a director?
Atlanta was another influence on this. I first wrote Widow’s Bay as a sample back in 2008 to try to get hired on Parks and Recreation. [The series] was a bit different back then, but I kept revisiting it over the years. I became a huge fan of Hiro’s work. I wanted Widow’s Bay to feel razor-sharp, and his choices are always so specific and incredible — hilarious in their subtlety, in the nuances.
Image: FX
I wanted the audience to be transported into a very real world. And for all the crazy places Atlanta went, it was always grounded. You have to buy that this could actually happen. Honestly, just imagining what I thought Hiro would do helped me see the show more clearly. And then he said he would direct, and I thought, Well, that’s better.
Ti West is also a fun director for this. Were you a fan of his X trilogy?
I loved X, but my personal favorite is The House of the Devil. The horror that resonates most with me is the kind that truly unsettles me, yet remains strangely enjoyable, and he’s so good at that. Ti’s a master at atmosphere and fear coming from the anticipation rather than the action. He also happens to be incredibly funny.
Image: MPI Media Group
Why did you choose Matthew Rhys to play the mayor? What makes him right for the role?
OK, I think Matthew Rhys is one of the best actors I’ve ever seen in my life. And anyone that has ever watched any of his work knows what I’m talking about. I'm excited for people to see his pitch-perfect comedic timing.
His character, Tom Loftis, is dealing with horrors both big and small: the thing lurking outside the building, but also the co-worker you’re stuck with inside who has acid reflux. He's wrangling his co-workers. He’s trying to maintain his composure while constantly taking in horrible new information. Matthew pulls you into this journey with him. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. And he doesn’t play it for comedy — he plays it completely straight. It’s glorious.
I’m a huge fan of Stephen Root, and I was excited to see him listed in the cast. Can you tell me anything about his role inWidow’s Bay****?
Stephen plays a salty old-timer on the island, named Wyck. He is the essence of the town — all of the town’s contempt for Loftis, and all of Loftis’ hunger for acceptance. Wyck thinks Loftis is too cowardly to lead this town. He’s not wrong. I had no idea what Stephen was going to do when he signed on, but I knew I was going to love it. Stephen is better than anyone at walking that tonal tightrope — making you laugh one minute, then doing something that just punches you right in the gut the next. He’s a genius.
