Sony has acquired a spec script for a haunted hotel film titled The Bringing, and they’re now in talks with Drive helmer Nicolas Winding Refn to direct. What’s interesting about the project is that while Refn is usually courted for directing gigs, this is one that he sought out himself, according to Deadline. This likely means that the script is very strong, as the much in demand filmmaker certainly has quite the selection when it comes to which movies he can make next.
The plot for this one will revolve around a man who stumbles into a nightmare when he investigates a death at a hotel. Though it’s not exactly based on true events, it is inspired by them. Brandon and Phillip Murphy are the ones who penned the script, and they first got the idea when they heard of the water tank death that occurred not too long ago at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles.
For those unfamiliar with what I’m talking about, a young woman was discovered, dead, in the water tank on the roof of the hotel. What makes it a strange case is that a video surfaced (which you can see below) showing her behaving awfully strange in the hotel elevator shortly before she died. Adding to the whole mystery is that the Cecil Hotel is famous for being the residence of serial killer Richard Ramirez at one point, and for being the location of several suicides and ghost sightings.
But I digress. The Bringing is not a film about the Cecil Hotel. Rather, it is a haunted hotel flick that’s simply inspired by true events. Apparently, Refn wants to make it his own version of The Shining, so he definitely has high hopes for the project, and we do too.
Despite not having directed a horror film yet, Refn has expressed interest in the genre before and even dabbled in it a bit with some of his previous efforts. To hear that he is going to tackle a haunted hotel flick is definitely exciting, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what he comes up with here.
Tell us, do you have high hopes for The Bringing? Are you excited to see Nicolas Winding Refn direct? Sound off below!