In 2021, the fourth season of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula quickly became one of the most watched shows on AMC’s Shudder. The hit horror drag show is now getting a franchising deal, according to Variety. In addition to a new season, the deal includes a spinoff show and a special that will air on Shudder within 2023.

Dragula is a reality competition series in which contestants (drag “monsters”) create outfits inspired by horror-themed challenges. Each episode culminates in a “Floor Show” in which the outfits and performances are judged, a winner is announced, and the two lowest performing contestants are selected for an “Extermination Challenge.” This involves Fear Factor-style competitions that in the past have had contestants eating live worms, getting buried alive, and even skydiving. Finally, the losing contestant is “killed off” by the Boulet Brothers in a prerecorded, horror-movie sequence.

The series has been shuffled around throughout its history, airing its first season on YouTube, its second season on Amazon Prime, its third season on Netflix, all before being finally picked up by Shudder (AMC’s streaming platform for all things horror) for its fourth season. Shudder’s new franchise deal not only represents a long-term commitment to the series, but a recognition of the show’s enduring appeal and excellence.

Throughout its run, Dragula has been a haven for unconventional drag, reveling in dark, gothic, and grotesque lewks that are not as commonly represented in televised drag competitions. It has also been inclusive of a wider assortment of queens, including nonbinary and trans performers. It was also the first US drag TV show to feature a drag king and an AFAB queen.

The Boulet Brothers are now referring to the Shudder deal as an expansion of their “cinematic universe.” “This is an incredibly exciting time to be a Dragula fan,” said the Boulet Brothers. “This new partnership with Shudder (and the AMC family) provides an incredible opportunity for us to expand our cinematic universe and to flesh out all of the characters, stories and stars that audiences have fallen in love with over the years.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the content that we’re about to unleash, and if fans have felt shocked and engaged with our content in the past, they are truly not ready for what’s coming next. It’s going to be a wild, fun, and terrifying new ride.”

Exact details on the new franchise expansion have not yet been released. However, Shudder has confirmed that the full season spinoff has already finished filming, will have contests doing “everything from costume creation to crafting special-effects makeup to live performance,” and will premiere this fall.