Until Dawn director David F. Sandberg is set to direct a "reimagining" of 1979 classic The Amityville Horror – and he's teaming up with The Conjuring: Last Rites writers Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg to do it.
Deadline was the first to report the news, with the publication stating that Amazon MGM Studios will be behind the scary flick. Sandberg is lined up to produce alongside The Safran Company’s Peter Safran and John Rickard, while Natalia Safran and Lotta Losten will executive produce.
Casting and plot details remain under wraps, but it seems fair to assume that the movie will be based on Jay Anson's best-selling 1977 novel and Stuart Rosenberg's adaptation that released two years after. In it, George Lutz and his family move into a modest mansion on the Long Island coast, unaware that it's haunted by the spirits of those who were murdered there one year prior.
The book itself was inspired by the alleged paranormal experiences of the real-life Lutzes while they briefly resided at the infamous 112 Ocean Avenue in the mid 1970s.
In the past, Lutz has been brought to life on the big screen by James Brolin and Deadpool and Wolverine's Ryan Reynolds. While Naing and Goldberg weren't involved in The Conjuring Universe then, the story also provided the backdrop for The Conjuring 2's prologue, in which Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) investigate whether or not De Feo. Jr was possessed by a demon during his violent rampage.
"After Shazam 2, I was like, 'I never wanna do another IP-based movie because it's just not worth it,'" Sandberg previously told GamesRadar+. "But then I was sent [the Until Dawn] script, and I was like, 'Ah, this would be so much fun to do, to do all these kinds of horrors? I kind of have to do it, and hope that the people see what we're trying to do and like it.'" The new take on Amityville Horror must have made him feel the same way...
Sandberg isn't the only genre filmmaker currently working on an Amityville movie, though. Back in July, it was announced that Deadstream's Joseph Winter and Vanessa Winter were developing a feature on the same story for the producers behind horror hits Barbarian and Heart Eyes. Their outing has been described as "radical", which suggests it'll deviate from the source material significantly.
While we wait for more news on Sandberg's Amityville Horror, check out our list of the best horror movies, or our guide to the most exciting upcoming horror movies heading our way.
