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Repeat Business: 30 Horror Film Franchises Getting A Restart

With an increasing number of films in development emerging as reboots, sequels or prequels –it’s only fair that the village bike of cinema, horror, gets her fair share. Each film in the following list has existed previously and varies from those in development to those awaiting release. Whether by remaking an already-existing film, rebooting a franchise via a new approach, reinterpreting the source material or re-editing an existing picture the chances are you’ve heard of them all before.

18. The Exorcist

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As the 40th anniversary of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist is imminent, a remake was to be expected. This time it’ll be hitting the small screen in the shape of a ten-part TV series created by Sean Durkin, writer and director of indie hit, Martha Marcy May Marlene. Announced back in May 2012, the show is being handled by Morgan Creek with Roy Lee, executive producer of The Ring and The Departed joining him.

This adaptation will broaden the scope of the original film, which concentrated solely on the possession and exorcism of 12-year old Regan McNeil. The arc of the show’s story will begin with the period leading up to her possession, the exorcism and the effects on the family afterwards.

Days after Morgan Creek’s announcement, author of The Exorcist novel William Peter Blatty hit back. Debunking the entire announcement, he stated that he owned the rights and the miniseries he and Friedkin were planning back in 2009 was something they still hoped would get picked up.

Looks like the chances are good either way for a TV series based on The Exorcist – and one which could start with a good old fashioned rights scuffle.

17. It.

There’s a lot of folks petrified of clowns. This almost guarantees that those same folks will be emotionally destroyed by a clown with the volition to file his teeth into points so as to appear even more petrifying. As personified by Tim Curry’s Pennywise in the first adaptation of It. But will those teeth be as razor sharp in the newest remake?

The first screen outing for Stephen King’s mammoth tome came in 1990 when a TV mini-series brought to life the tale of an evil life form which manifests as the victim’s worst fears. A remake has been on the cards since 2009 when Warner Bros hired screenwriter Dave Kajganich to rewrite the script which had attached an R-rating allowing for scarier elements of the novel to be depicted.

Cut to 2012 and reports now show the project has changed hands as Cary Fukunaga is now directing and co-writing the script with Chase Palmer. The film intends to be split into two parts like the 1990 adaptation with producers Roy Lee, Dan Lin and Seth-Graeme-Smith and David Katzenberg on board.

No release date has been set as It is still in pre-production.

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