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Witchfinder General remake coming from John Hillcoat & Nicolas Winging Refn - SciFiNow

Witchfinder General remake coming from John Hillcoat & Nicolas Winging Refn

The upcoming Witchfinder General reboot has a director and some producers

You can officially add Witchfinder General to the long list of horror films with remakes on the way, as the upcoming retelling of the story lands a director and producer.

John Hillcoat (The PropositionThe Road) is set to direct the project, while Nicolas Winging Refn (DriveThe Neon Demon) has signed up to produce with Rupert Preston, according to Deadline.

Refn and Preston will produce through their new production ventures Bynwr.com and Sunrise Films, alongside Hillcoat’s Blank Films. Jon Croker (Woman In Black 2) has written the script.

The film will be a remake of the 1968 horror of the same name, directed by Michael Reeves. The original film was set in 1645 during the English Civil War, and starred Vincent Price as real-life historical figure Matthew Hopkins, a witchfinder who carried out torturous and sadistic acts in the pursuit of hunting witches.

Witchfinder General is famous for stirring up controversy following its initial release due to its violent content, and has since gained cult status among horror fans and film lovers.

Speaking of the remake, Refn said: “For almost 20 years, Rupert Preston has not only been one of the main distributors of my films. He has also been one of my closest partners in entertainment. It is with extreme pleasure that both Rupert and I can incorporate John Hillcoat into our group as director for our production of Witchfinder General. It gives me enormous satisfaction to produce John’s vision and bring the retelling of this classic British film to a new audience.”

“I’m drawn to the dynamic departures behind this remake,” said Hillcoat. “The idea of a world pushed to extremes where fear preys upon all, unleashing religious fanaticism, rival factions, tribalism, heretics, and witch hunts… feels strangely familiar in today’s world.”

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