We've seen a lot of crazy franchises come back to life over the past couple years. Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD trilogy has been revived as Ash vs. Evil Dead on Starz. The GOOSEBUMPS series has reached the silver screen. HALLOWEEN, PHANTASM, ALIEN, and FRIDAY THE 13TH are all scrabbling their way back into theaters, however slowly it may be. But nothing could have prepared us for the news that the original 1978 I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is getting a sequel. Not only that, it's already finished shooting!
The new film, which has nothing to do with the surprisingly massive franchise spawned from the 2010 remake, features returning director Meir Zarchi at the helm and Camille Keaton reprising her role of rape-revenger Jennifer Hills. Entitled I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: DEJA VU, the plot is as follows:
Following her brutal rape, Jennifer wrote a best-selling account of her ordeal and of the controversial trial in which she was accused of taking the law into her own hands and ruthlessly killing her assailants. In the small town where the rape and revenge took place, the relatives of the four rapists she killed are furious that the court declared her not guilty and resolve to take justice into their own hands.
In this new chapter, Jennifer Hills is joined by her daughter Christy (Jamie Bernadette) as well as a variety of new characters, including Maria Olsen who plays the role of Johnny’s wife, the gas station attendant Jennifer castrated; Jim Tavare in the role of Herman, whose son Matthew was hung by Jennifer, as well as by actors Jonathan Peacy, Jeremy Ferdman, Holgie Forrester, Roy Allen and Alexandra Kenworthy.
Zarchi has already wrapped filming and is currently in post-production, saying “I always envisioned Camille Keaton returning to continue the saga of Jennifer Hills. Getting together with Camille to film the sequel was a surreal, deja-vu-like experience”.
What the hell?! Sometimes the world never ceases to amaze. I love how the cast and crew on this gritty grindhouse film have somehow formed a familial bond that endured over three and a half decades and that we'll actually be getting a sequel to this divisive classic.
I have no idea what kind of film we can expect, considering how much has changed in the genre since the late 70's. Could this new film possibly have the notorious brutality of the original? Or is it something completely different? Maybe a zany comedy. Or a James Wan-esque haunting spectacular. We'll just have to wait and see.
Check out some images of Zarchi, Keaton, and Bernadette on set below!