Babak Anvari's feature directorial debut, the Farsi-language horror film UNDER THE SHADOW, just made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival back in January. Less than four months later, London-based Wigwam Films, who produced and financed Anvari's film, and XYZ Films, who handled its North American sales, have announced that they are teaming up to produce an English-language remake.
Anvari's version of the story was
set in 1988 Iran, during the bloodshed of the Iran-Iraq War. Shideh and her daughter Dorsa start to believe their family home is haunted by “djinn” — evil spirits that are trying to steal their most prized belongings, including a treasured cloth doll.
The remake will move the setting even further back in time, to the London Blitz bombings of 1940 – 1941.
No writer or director has been announced for the English-language redo, but Anvari is on board as an executive producer.
UNDER THE SHADOW has gone over very well at its festival screenings; our own Chris Bumbray gave it a 9/10 review. Netflix has the global streaming rights and plans to make the movie available by the end of the year, so Anvari's original film will definitely be getting some wide exposure before the remake is complete.