A new take on the classic monster movie Pumpkinhead has been developing for years, with producer Peter Block recently claiming to Rue Morgue that fans can expect an update on the project in the near future. He might have played coy about what that update might be or when to expect it, but he did hint at what made him so excited by the mythology, which could be an inadvertent reveal about what fans can expect from this new take on the concept. The original film, starring Lance Henriksen, landed in theaters in 1988 and inspired three sequels and a number of comic book series.
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“We have some exciting news that I’m not allowed to share yet, but that should be making its way out soon,” Block shared with the outlet. “Pumpkinhead is a movie I just love, and it’s very similar in some ways to The Shed when you think about it. It’s about the pain you suffer vs. the revenge you seek, and that being even greater in some respects.”
He continued, “And while the original Pumpkinhead is a great movie, I think that there is more that can be done with that idea. Sometimes I loathe remakes and reboots because I don’t see the reason for them, but Pumpkinhead is one of those where I believe that the story and the themes of it are so good, but there’s also a way of updating it where less focus on the creature in the beginning will add to a lot of the suspense.”
In the original movie, after his son dies in a hit-and-run accident, Ed Harley seeks revenge against the teenagers responsible. With the help of a local witch, Ed summons the vengeful demon Pumpkinhead to hunt and kill the group of friends. But when Ed discovers a bond between himself and the creature, he begins to have second thoughts about employing the vicious monster, and he fights to end Pumpkinhead’s murderous rampage before it is too late.
“Pumpkinhead is one of my favorite horror films of the late ’80s, early ’90s,” Block shared with Entertainment Weekly back in 2016 when the project was first discussed. “[Director] Stan Winston sits on that Mount Rushmore of iconic filmmakers because of his creature designs, and that was his first directing effort. The creature’s great but the emotional story is wonderful as well. I got the rights to Pumpkinhead, and hooked up with a great young writer called Nate Atkins, and we developed our script, which is really solid.”
Stay tuned for details on the potential future of the Pumpkinhead reboot.
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