The Amityville Horror: As we announced earlier this week, MGM will be remaking The Amityville Horror with Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes production company in 2004.

Well, according to the trades and a scoop over at Creature Corner Dimension films is going to fast-track their Amityville: 25 Years Later script written by Halloween 6 director, Dan Farrands. Here's the scoop:

Dimension is going full-force with their Amityville project claiming they've bought the life rights of George Lutz, the fella who inhabited the Long Island Amityville house with his fam. The rights and a first draft of the script (Farrands?) were snagged from Nu Image and Dimension says the project is attracting a "well established horror director who will shoot a film to be released next year." As far as plot is concerned, the tale apparently still revisits the house after 25 year; in a whirlwind pace the script they've obtained will be rewritten and prepped for production. They're hoping to get the film out before some of summer of 2004's heavy hitters arrive.

"The race is on," Weinstein told Variety. "We don't anticipate a lawsuit, because the story and the events surrounding the house are public domain. MGM owns the remake, and we will not touch that story; Amityville as an entity and a real story is another matter. We've come up with our own take on the story, and I'm sure that their remake can be a success. I know one thing: We're very good at coming out first."