Once you’re absorbed by its terror, you can’t even scream. The slimy mass that is the Blob first thrilled audiences when it took on Steve McQueen on the big screen in 1958. It next oozed into cinemas via the 1972 sequel, Beware! The Blob, before being reborn in a 1988 remake directed by Chuck Russell and co-written by Frank Darabont. Proving that it's still a relentless alien amoeba, 1958's The Blob is being remade once again.
Goldcrest Films is moving forward with a remake of The Blob, with Simon West (The Expendables 2, Con Air) lined up for the director's chair and shooting slated to begin this summer. Modern-day special effects capabilities are expected to bring the Blob to life like never before, and Chris Haney (Avatar, Avengers Assemble) will oversee the VFX in post-production.
Linking the upcoming remake to the original, Jack Harris, the producer of 1958's The Blob, will be one of the executive producers of the remake. Also producing the project are Richard Saperstein (Se7en, The Mist) and Brian Witten (Final Destination, 2009's Friday the 13th), both of whom have been behind strong horror genre offerings from the last two decades. They recently backed the film adaptation of Stephen King's Cell, due out later this year.
Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates as this movie moves forward in development. For those who aren't familiar with the Steve McQueen-starring original, we have the 1958 film's synopsis and the official press release with full details:
"A cult classic of gooey greatness, The Blob follows the havoc wreaked on a small town by an outer-space monster with neither soul nor vertebrae, with Steve McQueen playing the rebel teen who tries to warn the residents about the jellylike invader."
Press Release – "London, UK – (22/21/15) Pascal Degove, Managing Director of Goldcrest Films (Goldcrest) today announced that Goldcrest will co-produce sci-fi thriller The Blob alongside producers Richard Saperstein and Brian Witten and co-financiers Taewon Entertainment & A-List Corporation. A remake of the 1958 sci-fi classic about an alien life-form that threatens a small town, the film will be directed by Simon West with principal photography set to begin this summer. Taewon Entertainment & A-List Corporation, based in Korea, will co-finance as their first major English-language project.
Goldcrest, which is also handling global sales and distribution, will launch the film at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.
Director Simon West’s films include Con Air starring Nic Cage, The General's Daughter starring John Travolta, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie. All made over $100 million domestically, opened at number 1, or both. West also served as an executive producer on the Oscar nominated Black Hawk Down and his television company has produced acclaimed series such as Fox's Keen Eddie, the CBS series Close To Home, Fox's Human Target and the NBC series The Cape. West most recently directed the action packed remake of The Mechanic starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster and Expendables 2, starring Statham, Stallone, Willis and many others.
Goldcrest Post (home to Todd Haynes' Carol) under Managing Director Tim Spitzer will be providing picture and sound post production services and visual effects under supervisor Chris Haney (Avatar, Avengers Assemble).
Jack Harris, 96-year-old producer of the original 1958 film, was recently awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The multi-hyphenate mogul will Executive Produce along with Judith Parker Harris, Shara Kay, and Laurence Freed. Pascal Degove and Nick Quested will Executive Produce for Goldcrest; Tae Won Chung will Executive Produce for Taewon Entertainment and Ju Young You for A-List Corporation. Michael Roban, Michael Harpster, Kyu C. Lee, Armen Aghaeian, Edward Mokhtarian, Geno Tazioli, Holly Kobzina and Paul Harris Boardman are also Executive Producers.
Pascal Degove, Managing Director Goldcrest Films said: “Simon West has a unique gift for blending cutting edge effects, awesome visual spectacle and a hint of humour. He’s the perfect choice to reimagine The Blob and we’re so excited to be partnering with him.”
Simon West “With modern CGI we can now fully realize the potential of The Blob. The world I create will be totally believable, immersive and emotionally satisfying. It’s a thrill to introduce an enduring icon to a wider audience and a whole new era of fans.”
Producers Richard Saperstein and Brinan Witten commented, “We grew up on The Blob. Simon West has a terrific and terrifying vision for bringing this iconic outer-space creature to life for a new generation. We’re grateful to Jack Harris for the opportunity to reintroduce a classic franchise, and to Goldcrest and Taewon for joining us on this journey.”
Jack Harris says, “May the inclusion of Pascal Degove and his Goldcrest team ignite today’s audiences as the historically, astounding original BLOB did." Judith Parker Harris has produced and directed over 3,000 TV commercials.
Saperstein and Witten most recently produced Cell, based on the bestselling novel by Stephen King, which stars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, which will be released later this year. The producers are represented by attorney Bill Grantham of Rufus-Isaacs, Acland, & Grantham LLP.
Simon West is represented by United Talent Agency, which is representing the U.S. distribution rights to the picture.
About Goldcrest
Operating from London and New York, Goldcrest is a long established and privately owned integrated filmed entertainment company. Highly skilled talent, expertise and experience underpin the company’s activities in three distinct operational areas:
• Goldcrest Films oversees the production, distribution and marketing of films produced by Goldcrest and third-party acquisition in addition to monetising Goldcrest’s celebrated library of over 100 titles.
• Goldcrest Post is a market leading supplier of Academy Award and BAFTA winning post-production services.
• Goldcrest Finance raises funds and structures transactions in the media sector and has funded films ranging in budget from $3 million to $98 million, of which four have opened at number 1 at the US box office.
The company’s extensive list of credits includes Academy Award winners The Iron Lady, Les Misérables and Skyfall together with One Direction: This is Us, Twilight and Harry Potter.
www.goldcrestfilms.com"
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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