Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Photos: The "Poltergeist" Redux

The first trailer for the remake of the 1982 supernatural horror classic "Poltergeist" hits tomorrow, and  ahead of that the first photos from the project have dropped.

Like the older film starring Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams, the story focuses on a family whose house was built on a sacred site and whose daughter is taken by ghosts.  The oeiginal film  was produced and co-scripted by Steven Spielberg (based on his story) and directed by Tobe Hooper. It spawned two sequels, "Poltergeist II: The Other Side" in 1986 and "Poltergeist III" in 1988.


 Sam Rockwell would play dad to the Bowen family married to wife Rosemarie DeWitt. Touch actress Saxon Sharbino will play Kendra Bowen, their 16-year-old daughter. The Following's Kyle Catlett is playing her younger brother. 6-year-old Kennedi Clements ("Rogue," "A Family Thanksgiving") will play the key role of Madison

Jared Harris is playing Carrigan, a former academic who now hosts a basic cable TV series called Haunted House Cleaners.  Jane Adams, best known for her work on the cable series Hung, is set to play a parapsychologist called in to help the family find their daughter and identify the supernatural forces at work in their home.

David Lindsay-Abaire is writing the new script from which "City of Ember" and "Monster House" helmer Gil Kenan directed.

Sam Raimi Nathan Kahane (Juno) and Roy Lee (The Departed) are producing the redux.

Nathan Kahane will exec produce.  

Kenan tells the USA Today that he takes the responsibility very seriously and discussed the tone and themes this new version tackles:

"Whenever someone approaches material that's so beloved, there's a reflexive reaction to be worried. It's a responsibility we take very seriously. We're working to make a Poltergeist film that lives up to the original's legacy. The original film commented on how we've let television get out of control, babysitting our kids. It's only gotten worse with the handheld portable devices. Screens are everywhere. Unlike the traditional horror film, I wanted to put together a cast to give weight and reality to these characters. It's the way to anchor the family. It's such an emotional story at the core. Parents fighting to get their child back from the beyond. The thing that keeps them a family is what they have to draw on, to stay sane, and also to win Madison back. The film is super-scary. And it's scary on its own terms. I am excited to finally be able to share that with the world."

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