THE STAGE 32 LOGLINES

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EASTERN STATE

EASTERN STATE
By David Williamson

GENRE: Thriller, Film-noir
LOGLINE:

A disgraced cop blackmailed to go undercover in a reopened prison, only to discover a corrupt corporate experiment—and a supernatural force that erases inmates from existence.

SYNOPSIS:

Series Synopsis

Philadelphia’s crime epidemic has pushed the city to a breaking point. In a controversial move backed by shadowy corporate interests, the infamous Eastern State Penitentiary is reopened under the control of Vanguard Corrections—a for-profit company with a dark agenda. Officially, the prison is meant to house the most dangerous criminals. Unofficially, it is a testing ground for supernatural human experimentation and systemic erasure.

Danny Mercer, a disgraced journalist turned crooked cop, is blackmailed into infiltrating Eastern State as an inmate under the alias Danny Cole. His mission is simple: investigate inmate complaints and document evidence. But once inside, Danny realizes nothing is simple—and nothing is real. Inmates vanish without a trace. The prison distorts memories, warps time, and whispers secrets no one should know.

As Danny's grip on reality begins to fray, he forms a tenuous alliance with the prison chaplain—a man wrestling with his own dark legacy and possibly possessed by the spirit of his serial killer father. Together, they navigate the prison’s hidden hierarchy of tortured spirits, corrupt guards, and psychological warfare. But the deeper Danny digs, the clearer it becomes: Eastern State isn’t just haunted.

It’s alive.

And it’s already rewriting his story.

EASTERN STATE

View screenplay
Maurice Vaughan

Rated this logline

Maurice Vaughan

A Noir series with supernatural elements sounds exciting, David Williamson! Your logline is solid except I suggest adding why the cop goes undercover in the prison.

Tasha Lewis

Rated this logline

David Williamson

I made a slight change Maurice adding that he was blackmailed to go undercover. Thanks for the feedback.

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, @David.

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