J.D. Dillard on what he hopes to bring to the remake of The Fly

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Rumblings of a remake of THE FLY has popped up every so often for quite some time, but just last month the project seemed to move forward with the report that J.D. Dillard, who made his feature directorial debut with SLEIGHT, was currently in negotiations to co-write and direct THE FLY. Dillard would tackle the script with writing partner Alex Theurer for Twentieth Century Fox, and it seems that the studio is looking at the project as a potential franchise.

Although the movie isn't a sure thing just yet, /Film was able to sit down with Dillard recently and ask him what he would like to bring to the remake.

I made the joke at a screening Q&A the other night but I want to take Mike Mills’ Beginners and match it with something like Guardians of the Galaxy. Now that technically makes no sense, but I want to be really gutted emotionally and feel something but also all the pieces from a blockbuster are there too. That’s the gap that I would love to find a way to close.

An emotionally gutting blockbuster? Sounds like THE FLY could fit in that mold fairly well, but J.D. Dillard is also hoping to avoid the mistakes which have been made with many recent remakes. "I think if you look at a lot of remakes, and the ones that may have not been as successful as others, I think often times the wrong pieces are remade," said Dillard. "Having this conversation about bigger projects and IP, we really want to make sure we are following a beating heart first and foremost." Dillard says that you can look at the rebooted PLANET OF THE APES franchise as a good example of how to do it right, adding that the films helped him to realize that he wants to tackle "something with big scale that can also make me cry. And not cry for nostalgia, but to be emotionally moved."

SLEIGHT, which Dillard directed and co-wrote with Theurer, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year and blended science fiction and street magic. The film follows a "young street magician who is left to care for his sister turn to drug peddling to keep a roof over their heads and when he gets in too deep, his sister is kidnapped and he is forced to use his magic and brilliant mind to save her."

SLEIGHT is set to hit theaters on April 28, 2017.