If you've never gotten around to checking out John Hough's 1973 haunted house classic THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE then you are truly missing out. Ignore the PG rating…this film is the real deal and still holds up as one of the most frightening films ever made. Now it seems that 20th Century Fox is looking to scare up some big box office by remaking THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE for a new generation of moviegoers.
Shock Till You Drop is reporting that THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE is once again on the remake block, but there isn't a writer or director attached yet. This isn't the first time 20th Century Fox has teased a remake of this film. If you recall, back in 2007 when 20th Century Fox had its Fox Atomic banner, the 1973 film was being mulled over for an update, but nothing came of it though. Now, with everyone trying to channel that magic THE CONJURING brought to the box office, it makes sense. Truth be told, I'd be excited to see a fresh take on THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE. Let's hope it happens this time.
Based on the Richard Matheson novel, The Legend of Hell House told of a physicist, Dr. Barrett, who is hired by a wealthy, dying old man to find evidence of the afterlife in the Belasco House, a.k.a. “Hell House,” the “Mt. Everest of haunted houses.” Barrett accepts the job bringing his wife, a psychic and a survivor of a previous Hell House visit that went terribly awry.
Roddy McDowell, Clive Revill, Pamela Franklin and Gayle Hunnicutt starred in the original horror masterpiece, which is set to get a Blu-ray release later this year from Scream Factory.
More on the remake of THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE as we hear it.