Raven Brunner
Mar 13, 2026
PEOPLE has the exclusive first look at 'Serling' ahead of its SXSW Film & TV Festival premiere
Director Jonah Tulis grew up watching The Twilight Zone with his dad, but his upcoming documentary on creator Rod Serling came to fruition because of Leonardo DiCaprio.
Tulis tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that he came across the project while looking to work with DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way and learning that they had been talking to Serling’s estate.
“It all originated from [DiCaprio] and his team at Appian Way. I love working with them. We're planning new projects together,” the director says, adding that the Oscar winner “is obviously a big fan of The Twilight Zone and this whole universe."
Tulis says Appian Way "brought the project to me and I ran with it, of course, but they were the ones who said, ‘Hey, we should do this.’ And they helped find the financing."
Serling tells the life story of the late Twilight Zone creator in his own words using never-before-heard recordings, archival footage and reenactments. The documentary dives into Serling's popular television work and final years, as well as his dedication to social justice.
“As his unmistakable voice guides us through these shadows, Serling emerges not only as a master of storytelling, but as a man grappling with the trauma of war, the moral compromises of fame and the hope that America might one day live up to its own ideals,” the synopsis teases.
Serling premieres at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on Monday, March 16, and PEOPLE has the exclusive first look.
Serling, who died of heart complications in 1975 at age 50, was the creator behind The Twilight Zone, The Loner and Night Gallery.
The Twilight Zone was his most popular work and ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The anthology show famously used science fiction and horror elements to offer social commentary during a time of heavy network censorship.
Serling served as the executive producer and writer of the series, as well as the host and narrator. At one point in his life, per the documentary, he was working 14-hour days all week to keep up with the production schedule.
The six-time Emmy winner, who spent time in the military and worked as a radio writer early in his career, was very vocal about his progressive politics throughout his career, which caused rifts between him and major studios.
Tulis, who previously directed 2021's GameStop: Rise of the Players, says The Twilight Zone is "one of those shows that's incredibly timeless." However, now feels like the perfect time for Serling to come out, as he says the creator's words "almost sound like he's speaking to audiences and worlds today.”
“It shows you the world hasn't changed as much as we hoped it would've changed in the past 50 years,” the director explains, pointing to Serling’s observations on war and the media landscape.
“I think these are all things that he was concerned about then and we should still be concerned about now,” Tulis says.
The 98-minute documentary features a treasure trove of archival footage, which presented a challenge to the production team. While Serling was a public figure, Tulis says he “needed to hunt a little bit” to uncover much of the material in the film.
The filmmaker accessed digitalized archives at Ithaca College, as well as UCLA and the University of Wisconsin, and was put in touch “with everybody in the Serling orbit.” He adds that Serling’s daughters, Anne and Jody, were incredibly giving throughout the process.
“It was a matter of trust,” Tulis says. “I think they liked my take and the recreation element. But like anything, if you're making a legacy piece about somebody's family, there's always going to be skepticism and nervousness. And so it was a slow process.”
One particular scene in the documentary that shines a new light on Serling was all thanks to Anne.
In the clip, which Anne obtained after someone found it on a VHS tape at a garage sale, the prolific TV writer sings a Frank Sinatra tune to his young daughter. “It was something different because [Serling] was a very funny guy," Tulis explains. "He wasn't a funny writer but he was a funny guy. He was always smiling and laughing, and I thought that was really beautiful.”
Tulis says he has screened the documentary for the family, and “it was as well received as it could possibly be.”
“They were ecstatic, and they think I'm really doing something great for the family's legacy. They were very happy,” he adds.
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The documentary was produced by Verdi Productions with Appian Way. In addition to DiCaprio, Tulis, Chad A. Verdi, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson, Michelle Verdi, Chad Verdi, Jr., Sera Verdi, Paul Luba and Blake J. Harris also served as producers.
Serling premieres March 16 at SXSW Film & TV Festival. It will also screen on March 17 and March 18.