John Hyams set to direct Maniac Cop remake; Nicolas Winding Refn producing

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Since 2012, Nicolas Winding Refn has been attached as a producer on a planned remake of William Lustig's MANIAC COP, and it appears the project may have finally found a director. At Fantastic Fest, Refn announced that John Hyams (UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: REGENERATION and DAY OF RECKONING) will helm the remake, which was later confirmed by Hyams on his Twitter. Hyam will be directing from a script by comic book writer Ed Brubaker.

Although the original MANIAC COP opened to negative reviews and didn't make back its budget at the box office, it has become a cult film in the years since its release, and launched two sequels. The 1988 slasher-flick starred Robert Z'Dar as the titular former law enforcement officer, who goes on a killing spree after returning from the dead. The film also featured the talents of Bruce Campbell, Tom Atkins, Richard Roundtree and Laurene Landon.

Synopsis for the original movie from IMDB:

Innocent people are being brutally murdered on the streets of New York City by a uniformed police officer. As the death toll rises and City Hall attempts a cover-up, Frank McCrae heads the investigation. A young cop, Jack Forrest, finds himself under arrest as the chief suspect, having been the victim of a set-up by the real killer and a mysterious woman phone-caller. Forrest, his girlfriend Theresa, and McCrae set out to solve the puzzle before the Maniac Cop can strike again.

So now that the remake has a director, who would you like to see play the ex-cop from hell?