Adaptions of H.P. Lovecraft‘s stories are always exciting, but an upcoming movie based on the author’s works is even more fascinating because it serves as a remake of a 1985 cult classic. Most of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories barely garnered any traction when he was active as a writer in the early 1900s. However, years after his demise, his stories gradually led to the creation of an entire horror subgenre, cementing his legacy as one of the finest authors of all time.
Even in the audiovisual storytelling medium, Lovecraft’s stories have received several direct and indirect adaptations. Although not all Lovecraftian horror movies and shows have been successful, some, like Color Out of Space, Annihilation, The Endless, and The Thing, have proven the subgenre’s potential. Another film will soon be added to the long list of Lovecraftian adaptations. While only time will tell whether it will be among the better cosmic horror movies, the upcoming film has immense potential because it is a remake of a highly acclaimed 40-year-old cult classic.
Re-Animator’s Cult Success Sets A Positive Precedent For The Upcoming Lovecraft Remake
The 1985 Film Proves The Lovecraft Story’s Adaptability
Many Lovecraftian stories are either unadaptable in the live-action medium or extremely hard to adapt. The biggest reason behind this is that the author often used abstract descriptions to define the unknown in his novels. For instance, in Color Out of Space, the entire narrative revolves around a color from space that is beyond human comprehension, with no human language being capable of accurately describing it. However, similar to the handful of successful Lovecraft adaptations, 1985’s Re-Animator achieved the rare feat of capturing the essence of the late horror author’s work.
Although Re-Animator largely remains underappreciated compared to most mainstream horror flicks of its time, its 94% Rotten Tomatoes score proves it has aged incredibly well. With its remake now confirmed, the modernized take on the film and the original story could actually benefit from the 1985 movie’s cult classic status.
Given how the 1985 film figured out how H.P. Lovecraft’s work can be translated to the big screen, the remake can also learn from it and adopt its blueprint to succeed.
Movies based on Lovecraft’s works are often met with skepticism because of how challenging it can be to adapt the author’s work. However, the 1985 film’s reputation could help the remake generate a more positive response from viewers even before its release. Given how the 1985 film figured out how H.P. Lovecraft’s work can be translated to the big screen, the remake can also learn from it and adopt its blueprint to succeed.
The New Re-Animator Movie Could Be Quite Different To The 1985 Original
It Is Being Touted As A Modern Take On The Original Story
The new Re-Animator will likely learn a lesson or two from the 1985 film, but it will probably be different in more ways than one. It is already being promoted as a modernized take on the story, which could potentially change everything from its setting to its main character beats. The first film was also a loose adaptation of the original Lovecraftian tale.
Did You Know: James Wan is also working on an adaption of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu.
If the new Re-Animator attempts to be a more loyal take on the original story, it would be significantly different from the 1985 film. Regardless of how different the Lovecraft movie ends up being, however, it undoubtedly has the potential to etch its own idenтιтy in the cosmic horror sub-genre and encourage more filmmakers to adapt H.P. Lovecraft‘s works.
