Elijah Wood to Play Serial Killer in Maniac Remake

According to a recent report, Elijah Wood has signed on for the lead role in the remake of Maniac. Set to be directed by Franck Khalfoun (P2) and produced by Alexandre Aja, Elijah Wood will play the role of "a serial killer who works at a shop that sells antique mannequins. He finds victims on the Internet and stalks them like prey, all the while suffering from hallucinations that throw him back into the past, when he was abused by his own mother."

Deadline reports that the film will begin shooting later this year, so we should have more information on the film and new casting announcements in the near future. The original film was directed by William Lustig in 1980:

"MANIAC stars Joe Spinell (ROCKY, THE GODFATHER, TAXI DRIVER) as Frank Zito, a deeply disturbed man haunted by the traumas of unspeakable childhood abuse. When these horrific memories begin to scream inside his mind, Frank prowls the seedy streets of New York City to stalk and slaughter innocent young women. Even as he begins a relationship with a beautiful photographer (Caroline Munro of THE SPY WHO LOVED ME), Frank continues to act on his vile compulsions. The film holds nothing back in depicting the atrocities of a human monster."