The fan-favorite 1997 horror video game The House of the Dead was previously adapted as a feature film in 2003. The film received largely negative reviews from critics and fans, though it was followed by a similarly negatively-received sequel in 2006. Now, years later, a new film based on The House of the Dead is in the works from writer and director Paul W.S. Anderson.
Anderson previously adapted a similar zombie-themed video game franchise, Resident Evil, in the early 2000s. As such, he’s an interesting choice for a new movie based on this particular brand, one which will specifically adapt the third House of the Dead video game.
Here’s what was shared via Empire about the project in a statement from Anderson:
“We’re going to base the movie on House of the Dead Three, and if you know the mythology that is all about family conflict, amidst the action and scares,” explains Anderson. “It’s about a woman, Lisa Rogan, who’s attempting to rescue her father. And it’s also about Daniel Curien, who’s the son of the man who caused this mutant outbreak in the first place and who has to deal with the sins of the father.”
Anderson also explained that the film won’t rely on the backstory of the video games. In fact, he claims he wants viewers to get into the action as soon as the characters in the film do:
“It’s not going to be kind of lumbered with a whole bunch of back story that might exclude people who know nothing about House of the Dead. Everyone’s going to be on the same page,” says Anderson. “Everyone’s going to get sucked straight into the action and learn about the characters and the plot, as they have 90 minutes to basically escape the most extreme haunted house you’ve ever been in.”
Other details on the project are scarce at this time. However, fans are no doubt excited to see what kind of 90-minute feature Anderson might be cooking up. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the new modern take on the classic games as we have them.