B-movie classic The Blob is getting another remake. Why? I couldn’t tell you, but here we are. Goldcrest Films is moving forward with the project, which the studio has set The Expendables 2 helmer Simon West to direct.
The 1958 cult classic, directed by Irvin Yeaworth, starred a young Steve McQueen as a teenager whose small Pennsylvania hometown is unexpectedly threatened when a gelatinous alien life-form emerges from a meteor and begins to consume the townfolk, growing larger in size with every new victim and oozing forward with no indication of stopping.
The Blob, though received with mixed reviews at the time of its release, is now held up as a prime example of B-movie entertainment. It birthed a sequel, Larry Hagman’s 1972 Beware! The Blob, and was previously remade in 1988 by Chuck Russell. Producers on this remake are Richard Saperstein and Brian Witten.
West said of his new take:
“With modern CGI we can now fully realize the potential of The Blob. The world I create will be totally believable, immersive and emotionally satisfying. It’s a thrill to introduce an enduring icon to a wider audience and a whole new era of fans.”
Jack H. Harris, who produced the original Blob, will exec-produce. Other exec-producers include Judith Parker Harris, Shara Kay, Laurence Freed, Goldcrest’s Pascal Degove and Nick Quested, Taewon’s Tae Won Chung, A-List’s Ju Young You, Michael Roban, Michael Harpster, Kyu C Lee, Armen Aghaeian, Edward Mokhtarian, Geno Tazioli, Holly Kobzina and Paul Harris Boardman.
Degove, Goldcrest’s managing director, recently stated:
“Simon West has a unique gift for blending cutting edge effects, awesome visual spectacle and a hint of humor. He’s the perfect choice to reimagine The Blob and we’re so excited to be partnering with him.”
Saperstein and Witten added:
“We grew up on The Blob. Simon West has a terrific and terrifying vision for bringing this iconic outer-space creature to life for a new generation. We’re grateful to Jack Harris for the opportunity to reintroduce a classic franchise, and to Goldcrest and Taewon for joining us on this journey.”
Though The Blob lacks the name recognition of movie monsters like Frankenstein and the Wolf Man, it’s certainly ranked as a member of that same crowd of creepy creatures, so provided Goldcrest and West approach this correctly, I could see The Blob doing well as a summer blockbuster.
Principal photography is planned for this summer, so we’ll see it soon enough.
