AnArachnophobia remakeis in the works. While it’s said to be in the early stages of development, it’s being reported thatThe Conjuringdirector James Wan is working on a remake of the 1990 horror/comedy. Wan isn’t planning on directing this new take on the giant, deadly spider horror flick. Instead, he’ll produce through his Atomic Monster production company alongside the folks at Amblin Entertainment.James Wanacknowledged the news on Twitter, joking that he would like to see John Goodman back in the remake and seemingly alluded to the fact thatRoseannewas recently canceled.
“Goodman is available, right?? Hmm. #arachnophobia”
We can only hopeJohn Goodmanwould be available and interested come time for cameras to roll on this one. Maybe throw a Jeff Daniels cameo in there as well for good measure? James Wan and Amblin are searching for a writer to pen theArachnophobiaremake now. That signals that this is in the very early stages, as there isn’t even a script. There is no word on who may direct it, but that decision will probably be made once a script comes in. Whether you’re excited about the prospect or a little annoyed about the idea of them remaking a movie that many people love, it’s a bit early to get too emotional either way.
In the originalArachnophobia, after a nature photographer (Mark L. Taylor) dies on assignment in Venezuela, a poisonous spider hitches a ride in his coffin to his hometown in rural California, where arachnophobe Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) has just moved in with his wife, Molly (Harley Jane Kozak), and young son. As town residents start turning up dead, Jennings begins to suspect spiders, and must face his fears as he and no-nonsense exterminator Delbert McClintock (John Goodman) fight to stop a deadly infestation.
Arachnophobiawas directed by the legendary Frank Marshall. At the time, it wasn’t all that successful, grossing just $53 million working from a $31 million budget. However, the movie is critically well-liked, currently boasting a 92 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That has helped to keep the movie alive over the years on cable and was definitely something that lined the shelves of video stores before they fell by the wayside. Maybe modern audiences will respond a little better to terrifying killer spiders from South America. James Wan has proven himself to be something of a modern horror master so if he sees value in it, this may be worth paying attention to.
James Wan just finished directingAquamanfor Warner Bros. and DC. He’s also a producer onThe Conjuringspin-offThe Nun, which is dropping its first trailer this Wednesday. There’s currently no word on when we could expect to see thisArachnophobiaremake, but we’ll be sure to keep you up to date as more details are made available. This news comes to us courtesy ofDeadline.
