It’s got to take a lot of confidence to tackle a remake of An American Werewolf In London. John Landis’ 1981 masterpiece is the greatest horror comedy ever made. It’s terrifying, it’s hilarious, Rick Baker’s effects work is stunning, the soundtrack is amazing, and goddammit, it is just the perfect film. There is nothing that we would change about it, ever. Ever.
So, it’s with mixed feelings that we have heard that An American Werewolf In London is being remade by Max Landis, who Deadline reports will write and direct this new version. Landis is the writer of Chronicle, American Ultra, Victor Frankenstein, and the upcoming Netflix series Dirk Gently and film Bright.
It’s being produced by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and David Albert, and it’s been set up at Universal with John Landis serving as an executive producer having set up a deal for the rights with the studio and An American Werewolf In Paris director Anthony Waller. There were rumblings about this happening a little while ago, when Max Landis denied his involvement back in August.
It’s interesting to note that Landis has not responded with any kind of definitive answer on his Twitter, although he does acknowledge that this discussion of an An American Werewolf In London remake is a thing that is happening.
I am honest to god shocked at the positive response this recent news about me seems to be getting. I was dreading any kind of announcement.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) November 8, 2016
That said, it was an unofficial story, with multiple factual errors in it, and I have nothing further to offer on it at this time.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) November 8, 2016
In case you don’t know, An American Werewolf In London starred David Naughton, Griffin Dunne and Jenny Agutter, and found two American boys hitchhiking across the Yorkshire moors when they are attacked by a werewolf. Jack (Dunne) is killed, but David (Naughton) survives the attack…with a curse.
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