What Shaped Netflix’s ‘The Body’ and Where Its Story Begins

Anyone searching for what Netflix’s ‘The Body’ is based on will find a simpler answer than the title might suggest. The series is not adapted from a book and is an original story from creator Quinn Shephard. It arrives on November 11 as an eight episode run about Catholic school girls who begin having prophetic visions after a dance team initiation goes wrong.

Beyond the question of source material, ‘The Body’ draws on a clear set of influences, from classic teen horror to the history of witch trials. Here is what is known about its origins, its creative team and its cast as the premiere approaches.

What ‘The Body’ Is Based On

‘The Body’ does not trace back to a novel, a comic or an earlier film. One streaming guide notes that Shephard pulls from teen movie energy, Catholic imagery and Salem witch trial paranoia, while the story itself belongs entirely to her. That makes it a ground up creation rather than an adaptation.

The name may cause some confusion, since Netflix has released a similarly titled series before. That series, ‘Bodies’, is a British science fiction crime thriller based on a DC Vertigo graphic novel by Si Spencer and it premiered in October 2023. It is a separate production from the new teen drama.

The plot itself is easy to outline. The story follows the Lions dance team, whose captains Anya and Elise stage an initiation for a new arrival named Grace on Halloween night. The ritual goes wrong and sets off prophetic visions that lead to mass hysteria across the town.

Inspirations Behind the Netflix Series

Shephard has been open about the films that shaped the show. She describes it as a love letter to the teen films and erotic thrillers of the nineties and Y2K era that she grew up with. She names ‘Carrie’, ‘Jennifer’s Body’, ‘Heavenly Creatures’ and even ‘Mean Girls’ as inspirations, each approached through a grounded lens.

The influences are not limited to cinema. As a teenager she was fixated on ‘The Crucible’ and the Salem witch trials, and she says revisiting that material under the shading of the current political climate has been interesting. That historical thread explains why the town’s reaction to the visions plays as a community wide panic rather than a private ordeal.

On tone, Shephard told Tudum that she would describe the show as “gritty camp” with a dash of Catholic horror. She has also said she has long been interested in girlhood as a kind of religious experience. The result blends dark teen horror with mystery and plenty of Y2K atmosphere.

Quinn Shephard and the Team Behind ‘The Body’

Shephard is the central creative force on the project. She created the series, directed the premiere and serves as showrunner. She has called it her most personal project yet.

Her track record helps explain the interest around the series. She directed ‘Blame’ and ‘Not Okay’ before moving on to ‘Under the Bridge’, where she also developed the story and worked as an executive producer. That mystery series earned an Emmy nomination.

The producing side also reunites familiar collaborators. Riley Keough, who starred in and executive produced ‘Under the Bridge’, returns as an executive producer on the new series. She is joined by Gina Gammell and Sacha Ben Harroche for Felix Culpa, Peter Chernin, Amy Israel and Josh Stern for North Road, and Blair Breard. Filming began in Canada.

‘The Body’ Cast and Release Date

The main cast is led by a mix of younger performers and familiar names. Sofia Wylie plays Grace Franklin, Kristina Bogic plays Anya Butler and Sara Boustany plays Elise Zakaria. Geena Meszaros, Nnamdi Asomugha and Jackson Kelly appear as Lisbeth Anderson, Father Franklin and Leo Anderson.

Reality television viewers will recognize one name in particular. Gabby Windey plays Coach Miller. She is also known as a winner of ‘The Traitors’.

On the release front, all eight episodes are set to be available as soon as the series launches on November 11. Early online reaction has been mixed. Some viewers found the trailer and synopsis intriguing, while others criticized a perceived lack of originality. If you have watched the trailer, tell us in the comments whether the mix of ‘Mean Girls’ energy and Salem style hysteria feels fresh to you or a little too familiar.