Be afraid. Be very afraid... because The Fly is set to return for a new movie set in the same universe as David Cronenberg's '80s body-horror masterwork.
Deadline reports that Nikyatu Jusu is set to write and direct the project for 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment. The movie is not expected to be a reboot or a direct sequel, although plot details are still under wraps.
Jusu garnered acclaim for helming Nanny, and also has a sequel to George A. Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead in the works, with The Walking Dead‘s LaToya Morgan penning the script.
“The original version of Night of the Living Dead is still so resonant to this day,” said Jusu when the project was first announced. “Every era has the zombie that it needs and right now, zombies reflect the ways that humans treat each other and show us who is truly the monster.”
Jusu is also working on another horror project for Monkeypaw and Universal, but a title has yet to be announced.
Cronenberg’s The Fly is still widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential sci-fi horror films ever made. Itself a loose remake of the 1958 film starring Vincent Price, the story follows scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), whose experiments with teleportation take a terrifying turn when a housefly enters his machine, accidentally fusing his DNA with that of the insect's.
The resulting mental and physical transformation is truly disturbing to behold, as "BrundleFly" gradually loses his last semblance of humanity, ultimately attempting to force his pregnant girlfriend (Geena Davis) to teleport with him so they can be together in one body as one not-so-happy family.
Chris Walas’ groundbreaking practical effects won him an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
What do you make of this news? Check out the trailer for The Fly below, and let us know what you think of the prospect of a new movie set in the world established in Cronenberg's film in the comments section.
When scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the process, leading to a merger of man and insect. Initially, Brundle appears to have undergone a successful teleportation, but the fly's cells begin to take over his body. As he becomes increasingly fly-like, Brundle's girlfriend (Geena Davis) is horrified as the person she once loved deteriorates into a monster.