In the new document, Rod Serling describes from beyond the grave how we found ourselves residing in The Twilight Zone.

      Years prior to the creation of The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling attempted to tell a story influenced by Emmett Till, the Black teenager who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 for reportedly whistling at a white woman. However, television executives had specific feedback that amounted to demands.

      If Serling were to proceed, they asked if he could do so without referencing the South or Black people.

      The absurdity of this situation motivated Serling to develop The Twilight Zone, where he obscured narratives of social justice within the veils of genre and metaphor. For example, discussing struggling immigrants on network television was off-limits, but he could address aliens or craft stories where we were the aliens. His ultimate aim was to foster empathy.

      The captivating new documentary Serling, which debuts Monday at SXSW, accomplishes the remarkable feat of having Serling narrate his life story. Director Jonah Tulis came up with this concept after discovering the substantial audio recordings Serling left behind when he passed away in 1975 at the young age of 50.

      “Thanks to the extensive archive of recordings we found, we were able to tell this story almost entirely in Rod Serling’s own voice. We did not use AI to replicate his voice, nor did we cast an actor to mimic it,” Tulis explained to MovieMaker.

      The documentary features hours of footage from Serling’s television appearances, including his introductions for each The Twilight Zone episode. It also includes impressively effective reenactments that resonate with the essence of the cherished show, which aired on CBS from 1959 to 1964 and has remained popular in syndication and streaming over the years.

      “We created visual atmospheric recreations in a 4:3, black-and-white format just like The Twilight Zone, using an actor,” Tulis mentioned. “However, what you hear in the film is entirely Rod Serling, speaking in the moment. Allowing Rod to lead the audience through his own life felt like the most authentic way to present this story. After all, who could tell the story of Rod Serling better than Rod Serling himself?”

      We spoke with Tulis about Serling's striking relevance today, how he navigated censors and critics, and his collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, Appian Way.

      MovieMaker: You mentioned that Leonardo DiCaprio and his company Appian Way were crucial for this film’s realization — that they had discussions with Serling’s estate and helped secure financing for the documentary. Why did they feel you were the right director for this project?

      Jonah Tulis: We all recognized that Rod Serling had a remarkable life and career that merited a cinematic representation, but the challenge was finding a fresh and engaging way to tell it. Since many key figures from that period have since passed away, the conventional talking-head documentary style wouldn’t adequately capture Rod's essence.

      I conducted some initial research and uncovered some truly extraordinary archival materials, much of which had never been seen or heard before. These included dictations from various stages of Rod’s life, including letters, script notes, and personal reflections. It became evident that Rod had, in a way, left behind a personal narration of his life. I realized that we could tell the story largely through Rod’s own voice. The concept emerged: what if the film unfolded almost entirely with Rod narrating his life?

      When I presented this concept to Appian Way, the Serling family, and our partners at Verdi Productions, they quickly embraced the creative vision. They particularly resonated with the idea of Rod guiding the audience throughout the film, using his own voice, thoughts, and words as the backbone of the documentary. They felt this approach honored his identity as a writer and storyteller.

      Ultimately, they expressed confidence that I was the right director because my focus wasn’t solely on making a biography; I aimed to create a cinematic experience that allowed Rod Serling to communicate directly with audiences once more.

      MovieMaker: What parallels and distinctions do you observe between Serling’s confrontations with TV executives—when he aimed to address issues of racial justice and other progressive themes—and contemporary conflicts between television personalities and their networks? I’m specifically thinking of Jimmy Kimmel's temporary removal from the airwaves and Stephen Colbert’s show being cancelled.

      Jonah Tulis: These parallels are, in fact, one of the primary reasons I believe narrating this story today is more crucial than ever. While Rod operated in a quite different television environment, the elements of control and censorship are still present across all media. Networks and platforms continue to function within commercial constraints, and creative voices often find themselves at odds with those limitations.

      The significant distinction is that contemporary artists often have access to more platforms, allowing for greater freedom. The Twilight Zone was very much born out of these constraints, as Serling utilized the allegory of science fiction to explore themes of race, politics, and humanity.

      MovieMaker: Why do