A new take on JACOB'S LADDER, the mind-f**ky 1990 film starring Tim Robbins, has been sitting on the shelf since production began over three years ago, but now the first trailer for the film directed by David M. Rosenthal (HOW IT ENDS) has finally arrived. Described as a reimagining of the original, JACOB'S LADDER stars Michael Ealy (THE INTRUDER) as Jacob Singer, a successful surgeon who is finally getting his life back together after the death of his brother (Jesse Williams) in Afghanistan. However, when his brother shows up alive, Jacob's life begins to unravel as he experiences paranoid hallucinations.
I'll leave it up to you folks to decide whether the film is worthy enough to carry the legacy of JACOB'S LADDER, but I'll give the filmmakers a little praise for not just going for a straight up remake. JACOB'S LADDER co-writer Jeff Buhler said that their aim was to find a "new way to give the audience an experience that is similar in terms of impact and feeling, but that doesn't play the same tune. It was a very tricky situation in the sense that we were trying to recreate something, but honor the spirit and concept (of the original), while telling a different story."
The official synopsis for JACOB'S LADDER:
After the death of his brother in Afghanistan, Jacob Singer is finally getting his life back together. He has a beautiful wife, a new born child and a successful career as surgeon in a VA hospital. When a stranger approaches him and tells him that his brother is actually alive and living in an underground shelter with other homeless vets, Jacob’s life starts to unravel. He begins hallucinating, believes he is being followed by violent attackers and becomes paranoid about the truth of what really happened to his brother. When he discovers that his brother is alive and addicted to an experimental drug, he uncovers a secret he never could have been prepared for.
JACOB'S LADDER will hit theaters and On Demand on August 23, 2019.