Richard Franklin’s 1978 horror flick Patrick getting the remake treatment

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

News out of AFM has Bankside Films (THE CALLER) in line to produce a remake of Richard Franklin’s 1978 Australian psychological chiller PATRICK. Indeed, a cast has already been lined up, including Richard E. Grant (BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA), Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under”) and Sharni Vinson (Adam Wingard’s YOU’RE NEXT). Documentary helmer (and native Aussie) Mark Hartley (MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED, NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD) is directing.

The plot: After killing his mother and her lover some years before, Patrick is the comatose patient in room 15 of a remote, private psychiatric clinic run by the secretive Dr Roget, who treats him as a guinea pig in his bizarre studies of life and death. When Kathy, a nurse who has recently separated from her boyfriend, begins working at the clinic, she is instructed to care for him. She is disturbed by Roget’s treatment of him and somehow feels that Patrick is trying to make a connection with her. When Kathy realises that the lifeless murderer can communicate, she is shocked but compelled to prove her theory. Patrick has psychokinetic powers which he uses to talk to Kathy by transferring his thoughts to a computer. As Patrick’s communication becomes stronger, strange and terrifying events begin to occur. Patrick has feelings for Kathy and his affection is about to manifest itself as a deadly, bloody obsession.

The film is in pre-production now and has an unspecified 2012 release date. We’ll keep you in the loop as it develops.

Sharni Vinson