The scary clown that gave your childhood eternal nightmares is back, and dare we say...He's just not as scary this second time around? Not a lot has been said about the Poltergeist remake, but so far we've gathered that it will be quite a bit different from the 1982 horror classic. 20th Century Fox and MGM have finally revealed the first images from this scary reimagining of the Tobe Hooper directed, Steven Spielberg produced original, and the biggest surprise is that it looks like a shot-for-shot redo, only with Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt in the leads instead of Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams.
USA Today has this special sneak peak at the supernatural thriller. This time out, Gil Kenan, best known for his work on the animated horror comedy Monster House and the family fantasy adventure City of Ember, is directing with horror legend Sam Raimi stepping in as producer. About this new version of the beloved film, the director states:
"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. 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."
Here, Kennedi Clements's Madison steps in for Heather O'Rourke's iconic role as young Carol Anne. As you can see, she is still called to the static-filled television screen in these images. Though in an earlier interview, star Sam Rockwell said the narrative would mostly revolve around a young boy. The story in this reboot follows the Bowens, who move into a house that is plagued by malevolent spirits. The family is forced to seek out the help of a respected supernatural researcher and clairvoyant played by Jared Harris. Says Producer Sam Raimi:
"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."
Take a look at the first images from Poltergeist and marvel at how much it looks and feels like the original film. Will it be another horror hit, or a quickly forgotten remake in the tsunami of reboots we've experienced over the past decade? Maybe a trailer will help us decide, unfortunately, we don't know when that is set to arrive:
