In November of last year, it was announced that MGM would remake the 1982 horror film “Poltergeist.” Spinning its wheels in development, the film has finally got some traction by signing Gil Kenan to direct. Kenan is well-known for directing the films “Monster House,” and “City of Ember.” “Poltergeist” had director Vadim Perelman (“House of Sand and Fog”) ready to helm the motion picture, but MGM was suffering from funding issues which halted production. Sam Raimi (“Evil Dead,” “Spider-Man,” “Oz: The Great and Powerful”) will be holding the reins as producer.
The original “Poltergeist” film opened in June of 1982 and went on to gross over $76 million domestically. The Steven Spielberg produced film is considered to be a classic by most moviegoers. So, what can the remake offer audiences that the original couldn’t?
Here is the storyline from the 1982 film, which starred Craig T. Nelson and Jobeth Williams.
A family is visited by ghosts in their California suburb home of Cuesta Verde. At first the ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, then they turn nasty and start to terrorize the family before they “kidnap” the youngest daughter.
The remake for “Poltergeist” is currently in development. No actors have been cast, and no writers have been hired to pen the script at this time. In addition to Raimi, Nathan Kahane, and Roy Lee will produce. Gil Kenan directs.
Sources: deadline, IMDb