A century-old story by H. P. Lovecraft is getting a new feature adaptation. The iconic horror author contributed a wide variety of notable works to the genre. Some of the most famous H. P. Lovecraft stories include the short story “The Call of Cthulhu” (which is part of the overall Cthulhu Mythos) and the novellas At the Mountains of Madness and The Shadow over Innsmouth. The author’s work was known for its presentation of cosmic horrors that were frequently impossible for the protagonists to properly describe or witness without losing their senses.
There have been numerous Lovecraftian horror movies produced over the years, with some – such as 2016’s The Void and 1997’s Event Horizon – drawing inspiration from the author’s tone and overall mythos. However, a great many of these movies are direct adaptations of the author’s work. Some of the most notable examples are 2019’s Color Out of Space, 1963’s The Haunted Palace, and many of the films of director Stuart Gordon, including 1986’s From Beyond, 2001’s Dagon, and 2005’s Dreams in the Witch-House.
Herbert West: Reanimator Is Being Reimagined
It Was Previously Made Into A Cult Classic
A new version of Herbert West: Reanimator is set to come to the screen. The 1922 H. P. Lovecraft novelette was previously loosely adapted into the gory 1985 cult horror movie Re-Animator, which followed upstart medical student Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) accidentally wreaking havoc when he invents a reagent that can awaken the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. The Stuart Gordon movie, which also starred Bruce Abbott (Bad Dreams), Barbara Crampton (You’re Next), and David Gale (Search for Tomorrow), spawned two sequels.
The sequel Bride of Re-Animator debuted in 1990 and was followed by Beyond Re-Animator in 2003.
Per ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Herbert West: Reanimator is being adapted into a modernized movie by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe, who previously co-wrote the supernatural horror movie The Haunting in Connecticut. Woodlake Entertainment is fully funding the project, with Jeffrey Lewis and Keith Previte producing. Executive producers will be John Simmons, Roger Lewis, and Andrew Trapani, the latter of whom was a producer on The Haunting in Connecticut. Below, read a statement from Lewis, who is also the owner of Woodlake:
We are very excited for Woodlake and the amazing team ᴀssembled to reinvent this classic horror literature into a contemporary frightening feature film.
Our Take On The New Herbert West: Re-Animator Movie
It Needs To Separate Itself From 1985’s Re-Animator
The new adaptation of the H. P. Lovecraft novelette has big shoes to fill. Although the Re-Animator movies have never been particularly commercially successful during their debuts, they have collectively formed a beloved horror franchise. This is especially true of the original movie, which has a Certified Fresh 92% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, if the new movie is a more direct adaptation of the source material, it could have something to offer to the cinematic canon that makes it feel like something other than a pale imitation of a тιтle that is generally regarded as a classic.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
