Stan Winston established himself as a special effects wizard thanks to films like The Terminator and Aliens, with the filmmaker making his directorial debut in 1988 with the cult classic Pumpkinhead, which Bloody Disgusting reports is getting a remake with Paramount Players. While the original film might not have been a blockbuster success when it was released, as the decade was largely dominated by slasher series, it has earned a passionate following over the years, thanks in large part to the practical effects on display, and has earned itself three sequels, the most recent of which debuted in 2007.
As for the status of the project, the outlet noted, “We hear a script is completed and that production is ramping up. Hoping to have director news in the coming months.”
In the original movie, after his son dies in a hit-and-run accident, Ed Harley (Lance Henriksen) seeks revenge against the teenagers responsible. With the help of a local witch, Ed summons the vengeful demon Pumpkinhead to hunt and kill the group of friends. But when Ed discovers a bond between himself and the creature, he begins to have second thoughts about employing the vicious monster, and he fights to end Pumpkinhead’s murderous rampage before it is too late.
In addition to a number of sequels keeping the creepy creature alive, the monster also became the subject of multiple comic book series, depicting all the horrifying ways in which the figure enacted vengeance.
One of the last seemingly official updates about a Pumpkinhead remake came from producer Peter Block back in 2019, with the coronavirus pandemic potentially stifling whatever plans he had at the time.
“We have some exciting news that I’m not allowed to share yet, but that should be making its way out soon,” Block shared with Rue Morgue. “Pumpkinhead is a movie I just love, and it’s very similar in some ways to The Shed when you think about it. It’s about the pain you suffer vs. the revenge you seek, and that being even greater in some respects.”
He continued, “And while the original Pumpkinhead is a great movie, I think that there is more that can be done with that idea. Sometimes I loathe remakes and reboots because I don’t see the reason for them, but Pumpkinhead is one of those where I believe that the story and the themes of it are so good, but there’s also a way of updating it where less focus on the creature in the beginning will add to a lot of the suspense.”
Stay tuned for details on the reboot of Pumpkinhead.
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