David Cronenberg made horror history when he directed the remake The Fly released in 1986. Now, several decades later, the universe he established with The Fly is being revisited by a new director: Nikyatu Jusu.
Jusu, who has also been developing a sequel to Night of the Living Dead, is now stepping over to 20th Century Studios to assist in reviving The Fly for a new generation. As mentioned, however, the film won’t be a remake but a new offering set in the same universe as Cronenberg’s classic.
Here’s what Deadline had to share about the project which comes from both 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment:
“While the film’s plot is under wraps, sources stressed that it’s set in the universe of Cronenberg’s film, rather than a straightforward remake. Nikyatu will direct from her own script, with Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping producing.”
The franchise’s history can be traced back to the 1957 short story The Fly by George Langelaan. The story was adapted in 1958 as a film starring David Hedison, Patricia Owens, and Vincent Price. A sequel followed in 1959 titled Return of the Fly and a less-connected effort in 1965 titled Curse of the Fly.
Of course, it’s Cronenberg‘s 1986 horror film that took the concept to new levels and presented what many consider to be the greatest remake of all-time. It was followed by a sequel in 1989, though Cronenberg opted not to return, and Chris Walas who provided the special effects for the 1986 film took over as director. It was not received as well as its predecessor and thus the franchise went into hibernation.
Now, however, we’ll have to see what kind of story Nikyatu Jusu has in mind for The Fly. The concept is certainly just as viable today as ever, so hopefully the film delivers. Especially when it comes to filling the massive footsteps left behind by Cronenberg’s 1986 endeavor.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for more news regarding this new take on The Fly as we have them, especially how the film fits into the same universe as the original 1986 film. There are certainly plenty of possibilities to explore in that regard – so hopefully we’ll know more soon.