On June 11, 2018, it was announced that genre regular James Wan’s company Atomic Monster was teaming up with Amblin to produce a remake of the 1990 “nature run amok” horror film Arachnophobia (buy it or watch it HERE). Almost exactly four years later, The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Christopher Landon, director of Happy Death Day and Freaky, will be writing and directing the new take on Arachnophobia.
Directed by Frank Marshall from a script crafted by Don Jakoby, Wesley Strick, and Al Williams, the original Arachnophobia had the following synopsis:
After a nature photographer dies on assignment in Venezuela, a poisonous spider hitches a ride in his coffin to his hometown in rural California, where arachnophobe Dr. Ross Jennings has just moved in with his wife, Molly, and young son. As town residents start turning up dead, Jennings begins to suspect spiders and must face his fears as he and no-nonsense exterminator Delbert McClintock fight to stop a deadly infestation.
The film starred Jeff Daniels, Harley Jane Kozak, John Goodman, and Julian Sands.
The Arachnophobia remake is being produced by Wan and his Atomic Monster partner Michael Clear. Marshall is on board as executive producer. Jeb Brody, Amblin’s president of production, is overseeing the project with Amblin’s executive VP Lauren Abrahams and senior VP Mia Maniscalco.
I have always enjoyed Arachnophobia and don’t expect the remake to match up to it, but I am curious to see what a Christopher Landon spider infestation movie is going to be like. I’m not a fan of the Paranormal Activity franchise, which he contributed several sequels to, but I am a fan of Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U, and Freaky.
What do you think about Landon remaking Arachnophobia? Share your thoughts on this news by leaving a comment below.