Is the POLTERGEIST Remake Actually a Sequel?

Just the other day we got our first story details for the Sam Raimi produced, Gill Kenan directed remake of Poltergeist. Only it might not be a remake. Some new information suggests that the movie is actually more of a sequel, or a sequel and reboot. 

Let's start off with the information that was already revealed, and then we'll jump into the sequel details.

The new version follows Eric Bowen and his family who, after he loses his job, relocate to a new town to start anew. His daughter, Madison, is abducted, making him truly understand what’s important in life: family. In the new version, Eric’s wife, Amy, can communicate with the dead.

Another interesting new character is Carrigan Burke, a television personality who hosts “Haunted House Cleaners.”” The supernatural doesn’t scare this guy. Dr. Brooke Powell is Carrigan’s ex-wife who is a parapsychologist at a local university. Her team investigates the supernatural events surrounding the disappearance of the Bowen girl.

Now here's the new updated information from Movie Hole.

Firstly, the Kenan-directed Raimi-produced reboot – much like the “Evil Dead” remake – exists in the same world as the previous “Poltergeist” films. So while it is a ‘reboot’ of the franchise, it’s also somewhat of a sequel – taking place years after the Freeling’s were ran out of town.

In one scene in the new film, the kids’ find some things behind the sliding panel in the attic. Yep, you guessed it – they find some of the Freeling’s possessions, intentionally left behind. There’s the Star Wars bed sheets (from Robbie’s room), a black-and-white TV set (why, of course!), and some Christmas decorations.

Although the new film may possess new characters and somewhat of a different storyline, all the “familiar beats” from the original “Poltergeist” films are in it. There’s the scary tree that proves a looming threat to our youngster (and gets pulled underground), the freaky ‘clown’ that sits upon a rocking chair in the bedroom (in this case, the clown sits in younger brother Griffin’s room), and of course there’s ‘phone’ trouble (in this case, older sister Kendra’s iPhone gets damaged by unseen forces), and of course the little girl – Madison – who makes friends with ‘The Lost People’ that nobody can see (but who don’t mind ‘showing off’ – making Madison’s hair stand up like she’s just been struck by electricity, being just one of their ‘tricks’).

I can see how they would call it a sequel, but at the same time, if the movie is going to end up playing out like the original film then I think it's more of a remake. I do like that it takes place in the same universe as the original film because there's always the chance that Craig T.Nelson and JoBeth Williams’ characters could show up in a later film as the site suggests. 

The more I've thought about this, the more open I've become to the idea of a new Poltergeist movie. After all, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead remake ended up being pretty damn amazing, so I'm sure he can steer Poltergeist in the right direction, and give the fans something terrifyingly awesome.