Finally, some horror fan's dreams may come true...rather than remaking 1982's Poltergeist, MGM has decided to go the sequel route instead. So expect a Poltergeist 4 in the near future!
Have MGM come to their senses and decided to do a sequel – rather than reboot – to one of the greatest horror movies ever made, 1982′s “Poltergeist”!?
It would seem so! At least that’s the story to be found within a Variety article that notes some of the franchises that the studio are dusting off.
You’ll recall a few years back that a fourth “Poltergeist” movie was briefly on the cards (and our own Clint wrote the first draft for that film, “Poltergeist : Kayeri”, fixing on a postponed battle between a “broken Stephen Freeling and the spites that tore his family apart”) but the idea to continue following the characters from the original was abandoned in favour of straight up remaking the Tobe Hooper classic. Nobody much wanted to see that. Whatever the case, the remake script was penned by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White.
Either because of the backlash of last years ”Elm Street” reboot or the umpteen other bad remakes of late (or maybe they’ve just been spurred on by the success of “TRON legacy”, which proved there is an audience for a sequel to a 30-year-old film) MGM may have decided to return to the characters we know and love best.
The trade says “A fourth “Poltergeist.”" is in the works, adding “The original was released in 1982, followed by sequels in 1986 and 1988.”
So… a sequel, right?
Clint, who has nothing to do with the new film (be it a sequel or remake), dropped an old contact of his a line and asked whether or not it is a sequel they’re doing now- just out of interest. The response? “I think so, yes”.
So is that good news? I think so. Wouldn’t you all rather see Craig T.Nelson and JoBeth Williams in a new “Poltergeist” movie (the young star of the original films Heather O’Rourke is no longer with us, sadly) than simply have someone rehash the events of the original film?
MGM are apparently looking at doing quite a few sequels and remakes over the next couple of years, including a remake of Michael Keaton classic “Mr Mom”, Taylor Hackford classic “The Idolmaker” and the previously-announced “RoboCop”.
Thanks to Alicia from Moviehole.