The remake of JACOB’S LADDER starring Jesse Williams (CABIN IN THE WOODS) was supposed to be released back on February 1st… but that didn't happen. Evidently, the film has been delayed to an unspecified date and as we all wait for that date to be announced so we can all NOT go see it in theaters, maybe today we have something that might get you interested in the remake. Turns out screenwriter Jeff Buhler was out and about promoting his new creepy-killer kid flick THE PRODIGY and he talked a bit about his JACOB'S LADDER remake.
Mainly that this new version will – get this shite – sport an all-new twist ending. Buhler says:
We came up with a cool twist that’s different from the one in the original, but has that same spirit: You’re following this story with these characters, and then all of a sudden everything gets flipped on its head, and you’re like, ‘Whoa! Things are different than I thought.’
And if you care, Buhler also commented on why his remake was delayed:
I think that was because the market had a whole handful of these movies—and maybe I inadvertently had a hand in this, because THE PRODIGY was slated for February 8. ESCAPE ROOM was coming out, and there were a whole bunch of other psychological thrillers and horror films stacked up for January and February, so they bumped it to later in the year. They announced that original date, but then when they moved off of it, they never announced that fact. So everyone was operating under the assumption that it was opening February 1, but that wasn’t the case.
He also said that the new film will focus on two brothers instead of one protagonist, and the backstory deals with the war in the Middle East rather than Vietnam and that this remake is "more a reflection of the original film than a remake of it." Whatever that means… Anyhow, not much else is known about this upcoming remake at the time, so here's the synopsis of the original film:
After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie (Elizabeth Peña), and ex-wife, Sarah (Patricia Kalember), try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis (Danny Aiello), fails to reach him as he descends into madness.
The original film was directed by Adrian Lyne (FATAL ATTRACTION) from a screenplay written by Bruce Joel Rubin (GHOST) and this new film hails to us from director David M. Rosenthal (THE PERFECT GUY) and screenwriters Jeff Buhler (MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, PET SEMATARY remake) and Sarah Thorp. The horror remake stars Michael Ealy, Jesse Williams (CABIN IN THE WOODS), Nicole Beharie, Karla Souza, and Guy Burnet.
The movie has scored an R-rating via the MPAA for language, some violence, sexuality, and drug content. It will be released… eventually.