Yet another horror reboot is in the works, Fright Night. This one comes from the folks at DreamWorks and will stay true to Tom Holland’s 1985 original, but toss in some updated effects. The man in charge of making this a reality? Probably Craig Gillespie. As reported by the LA Times, there were at least three directors in the running, but Gillespie came out on top and is currently negotiating with the studio.
The original film was a surprise hit and ultimately earned itself a devoted fan base. It’s about a kid named Charley Brewster who finds out his new neighbor is a vampire. Making matters worse, his mother thinks the new guy in town is good boyfriend material. Charley tries to confide in his girlfriend, Amy, and best pal, Evil Ed, but both think he’s crazy. Now the only person Charley can turn to is a seasoned vampire killer and the host of the TV show Fright Night, Peter Vincent.
The guy responsible for Lars and the Real Girl and Mr. Woodcock directing a horror movie? Gillespie’s resume may not jive well, but the film’s writer, Martin Noxon, has some appropriate work under his belt. He’s a seasoned TV writer having scripted a number of shows, the most significant of which (in this case) is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The only down side to the Buffy influence, is the inclination to make this one TV friendly, aka PG-13. Mix in Gillespie’s comedic sense and we could be looking at a terribly tacky teen horror flick. A few laughs are fine, but let’s hope this duo keeps the scare factor a top priority.
By Perri Nemiroff (via First Showing)
