A new adaptation of Sega's classic light gun game House of the Dead is currently in the works from Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson. But a rival spiritual successor to the 2003 cult horror is currently being crowdfunded by original director Uwe Boll.
Titled 23 Years Later: Return to Zombie Island because, as Boll points out in the crowdfunding campaign's launch video, "we cannot name it House of the Dead because they're making a $50 million House of the Dead movie with somebody else", the movie will be an unofficial follow-up to the 3% Rotten Tomatoes-rated original.
The first of Boll's many critically panned video game adaptations (Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, Far Cry, and more followed), House of the Dead was supposedly a prequel to the classic Sega light gun games, in which a group of ravers must shoot their way off a zombie-infested island.
"[House of the Dead] turned from the most-hated video game-based into a total cult classic," Boll claims in the crowdfunding video. "People love that movie, and I love that movie, and I called all the old cast and said, 'Would you come back to do a real, retro, bloody, new House of the Dead-inspired movie?'" Whether or not any of the cast said yes is left curiously unconfirmed.
Either way, the crowdfunding campaign hasn't gotten off to the best start, with just $5,000 of the $20,000 target currently pledged after four days. As for that rival House of the Dead movie, that's said to be a "top Sega priority," with Superman and The Last of Us star Isabela Merced recently signing up to star. Fellow video game adaptation stalwart Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Monster Hunter) is set to direct.
23 Years Later: Return to Zombie Island does not currently have a release date. For more, check out of list of upcoming video game movies and upcoming horror movies.
