David F. Sandberg To Direct AMITYVILLE HORROR Reimagining For Amazon MGM Studios
David F. Sandberg, the filmmaker behind Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation, and the Shazam! films, is stepping into one of the most infamous haunted houses in movie history. Sandberg has signed on to direct a reimagining of The Amityville Horror for Amazon MGM Studios.
I’m be honest, I think this story has been done to death, and I don’t really care to see another movie made based on the story. But, maybe Sandberg will do something interesting with it.
Sandberg is coming off his work on the Until Dawn video game adaptation for Screen Gems and is reuniting with The Safran Company, with whom he previously collaborated on Annabelle: Creation and Shazam!. Peter Safran and John Rickard will be producing the film with Natalia Safran executive producing alongside Lotta Losten.
The script is being written by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing, the duo behind The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Fear the Walking Dead, and most recently The Nun II. Their take on the story is described as a reimagining of the classic, though details are being kept tightly under wraps.
Goldberg and Naing’s involvement comes at a perfect time, as their latest project, The Conjuring: Last Rites, just opened in theaters and has already pulled in $187 million worldwide.
The Amityville Horror first terrified audiences back in 1979 with director Stuart Rosenberg’s adaptation of Jay Anson’s 1977 book. The film, starring James Brolin, Margot Kidder, and Rod Steiger, combined true crime with supernatural terror.
It was rooted in the real 1974 murders committed by Ronald DeFeo Jr., who killed his parents and siblings in the infamous house on 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York. A year later, the Lutz family moved into the home and claimed to experience chilling paranormal phenomena, sparking decades of fascination and countless films.
The franchise has had a mixed history, with more than a dozen sequels, spinoffs, and reboots. The last somewhat notable attempt was Amityville: The Awakening, which featured Bella Thorne, Cameron Monaghan, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, but only managed to make around $8 million at the box office.
More recently, Lionsgate released Amityville: Where the Echo Lives, which quietly debuted on Max with little impact.
Alongside Sandberg’s Amazon MGM Studios project, BoulderLight Pictures and Divide/Conquer are also developing a separate Amityville film, with Joseph and Vanessa Winter (Deadstream) set to write and direct. Their movie is drawing directly from the public domain legend, aiming to bring fresh blood to the franchise.
Sandberg’s involvement signals a major push to revitalize The Amityville Horror with a strong creative team and studio backing. He has a strong track record in both horror and blockbuster filmmaking so maybe he tis the right person to tackel the story behins one of the most iconic haunted house stories ever told.
What do you think about Sandberg taking on The Amityville Horror? Are you ready to see a fresh reimagining of the legend?
Source: Deadline