Tom Holland has been busy developing a brand-new slew of Fright Night comics and books. Now the first of his new trilogy of Fright Night novels is finally here. The new book, titled Fright Night: Origins, will serve as a new adaptation of his original screenplay. It will follow the familiar narrative of the 1985 film while expanding the storyline for two additional novels.
This announcement might be abrupt – but, even more abruptly, Fright Night: Origins is already available. The eBook and Paperback version are currently on Amazon. There will also be a Hardcover version of the book released – though that won’t be available until October 14, 2022. As such, it looks like there will be an option for everyone no matter their preference for reading or collecting.
Original Fright Night creator Tom Holland, who co-wrote the book with Jack Ulrich, had this to say via Bloody-Disgusting:
“A couple years ago I sat down to write a novel of my original story Fright Night, but as I came close to finishing, I realized I had so much more to tell,” says Holland. “There were elements I was not able to convey in the original film because of time constraints, and I was compelled to take us back to the origins of Fright Night and beyond.”
“I’ve written something I truly hope the fans of Fright Night will love and intend to take the Fright Night universe far beyond the story the films have told,” says Holland. “This story and the characters are deeply personal to me, and I hope the fans have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Fright Night forever!”
Similarly, co-writer Jack Ulrich added his own thoughts. He explained that he grew up “a fan of Fright Night,” and that he “never conceived that I would lend my voice to its continued legacy. These things just don’t happen.” Here’s his full statement:
“Tom and I had been friends for about twelve years when I pitched him the idea for a graphic novel called Fright Night Dystopia, which centered on Charley Brewster’s life after the events of the first film. While that story remains untold, it began a series of exchanges that ultimately saw me contributing to a new Fright Night. Growing up as a fan of Fright Night, I never conceived that I would lend my voice to its continued legacy. These things just don’t happen.”
Hopefully we’ll have details regarding the next two entries in the new Fright Night trilogy soon. While we might not be getting a new movie, at least not yet, these novels should be a great way to expand upon the lore of the original film. After all, having both a prequel and sequel attached to a more expanded interpretation of the original screenplay sounds like the perfect combination. In addition, Tom Holland has a number of new comics based upon his original Fright Night screenplay as well. So, who knows? If these new projects are successful enough – maybe we can see a new continuation of the original 1985 film.
Fans can stay tuned to ScreenGeek for additional updates as we have them. In the meantime, Fright Night: Origins is available on Amazon with the Hardcover edition being released on October 14, 2022.