Rogue Pictures has made deals that put the Focus Features genre arm in business with two horror icons.
Rogue has greenlit "25/8," a thriller that will be directed by Wes Craven and marks the first original horror script he has written since 1994 pic "Wes Craven's New Nightmare."
At the same time, Rogue has closed a separate deal to remake the 1972 George Romero film "The Crazies," about a small Pennsylvania burg terrorized after a plane crash drops a biological weapon into the water.
Rogue bought the pic out of turnaround from Paramount, and it's earmarked to start production as soon as the SAG deal is made. Breck Eisner will direct a Ray Wright script, and Michael Aguilar and Dean Georgaris are producing. Romero will exec produce.
Rogue starts production in April on "25/8," which will be produced by Iya Labunka. Craven said the film unveils a signature villain, a serial killer who turns up 15 years after his purported death, to kill the seven children born on that fateful night.
"It's more a thriller than slasher film, and revolves around a young kid with a very dark past involving his family and his father," Craven told Daily Variety.
Craven pitched his idea for the project to Rogue co-prexy Andrew Rona when Craven separately formed Midnight Pictures, a shingle that will make Craven-produced fright films for Rogue. The first will be a remake of Craven's 1972 directorial debut, "The Last House on the Left," which begins production in South Africa in April.
One remake Craven isn't involved in is New Line's plans to reinvent his "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise with Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes banner.
"My baby has fallen into the hands of others, and what can I say but wish them luck," Craven said.
Print Story
Send to a Friend
