HOUSE and FRIDAY THE 13TH Reboots in Development From Original Producer Sean S. Cunningham

Horror movie producer and director Sean S. Cunningham has got some interesting new film projects in the works. He is remaking two of his classic horror films - Friday The 13th, which he directed, and House, which is one of my favorite horror movies from the 80s! We actually talked about it on our podcast, Secret Level. In addition to that, he’s developing an original film titled The Night Driver. He’s working alongside writer Jeff Locker and director Jeremy Weiss on these upcoming projects.

Locker explained in an interview with Bloody-Discusting: “Sean hired me to do a rewrite on The Night Driver and after working closely with director Jeremy Weiss and him on that, we naturally got to talking about Friday the 13th and House. Jeremy and I pitched our dream reboot of Friday the 13th – with Sean’s blessing to keep developing it with him.”

When it comes to the Friday The 13th franchise, there’s been some legal issues regarding the rights for a few years. But, there’s also a prequel series in development titled Crystal Lake, which is being developed with original screenwriter Victor Miller and Bryan Fuller (Hannibal).

Locker talked about that, saying: “Obviously, the prequel TV series has reignited interest about a new film so we’re hoping the surrounding excitement will inspire both sides to come together and give us Jason on the big screen again for the first time in 14 years, but we also have a Plan B for a sequel to the original we think fans will absolutely love and should avoid any legal entanglements.”

As for the reboot of House, Locker says that it will be a reimagining of the 1985 movie, and he offers some plot details and says that it will bring back some familiar monsters! There’s also an “accompanying video game concept.”

He said: “The House reboot is both an update and reimagining of the classic series, centering around the birth of a haunted house. Lots of great scares and howl-at-the-screen laughs, plus we’re bringing back a few of your favorite monsters from the original for some really fun but equally terrifying kills. I’m working on the script as we speak and all I can say is I’m having a fucking BLAST!”

I’m not really interested in Friday The 13th anymore, that franchise has been run into the ground. But, I can’t but help be a little curious about the House movie. With the story telling the birth of a haunted house, it sounds like an intriguing origin story idea. There’s some teaser art for that below.

Then there’s The Night Driver, and in regards to that, director Jeremy Weiss teases: “The Night Driver is a film about an everyday salesman who regularly drives across the country selling pharmaceuticals. One night on a backroad he encounters a madman who seems to be following him, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. All he wants to do is make it home alive to his family at any cost; and by the time it’s over, he realizes that he’s either escaped the terror or it’s followed him home.”

Weiss went on to say: “Working on The Night Driver with Sean and Jeff was such a great experience, by the time the momentum was picking up we were looking for what projects could be next in line. As a horror nerd through and through, Friday the 13th and House were naturally where I wanted to head next. Jeff not only felt the same, but had very similar ideas with where to take both franchises.”

What do you think of the reboots of House and Friday The 13th?