The Keep Getting New Adaptation From The Walking Dead’s Greg Nicotero

The ’80s delivered audiences a number of genre films that struggled with visual effects limitations, resulting in stories with lots of potential failing to be brought to life as effectively as they could, which includes the adaptation of F. Paul Wilson’s novel The Keep back in 1983. Luckily, the author recently took to Twitter to confirm that there is expected to be another adaptation of the book on the way, this time with Greg Nicotero at the helm. As proven with projects like The Walking Dead and Shudder’s Creepshow, Nicotero looks to be the perfect choice to honor the thrilling and fantastical elements of the book.

“THE KEEP – 2 days ago, after a year and a half of lawyering between the ‘purchaser’ and my side at ICM, I signed an option/purchase agreement with Greg Nicotero for the remake of The Keep.Greg is a longtime fan of the book and he’s got the chops to do a worthy adaptation,” Wilson himself confirmed on Twitter.

THE KEEP – 2 days ago, after a year and a half of lawyering between the "purchaser" and my side at ICM, I signed an option/purchase agreement with Greg Nicotero for the remake of The Keep. Greg is a longtime fan of the book and he's got the chops to do a worthy adaptation.

— F. Paul Wilson (@fpaulwilson) December 15, 2022

Wilson’s website describes the story, “‘Something is murdering my men.’ Thus reads the message received from a Nazi commander stationed in a small castle high in the remote Transylvanian Alps. Invisible and silent, the enemy selects one victim per night, leaving the bloodless and mutilated corpses behind to terrify its future victims. When an elite SS extermination squad is dispatched to solve the problem, the men find something that’s both powerful and terrifying. Panicked, the Nazis bring in a local expert on folklore — who just happens to be Jewish — to shed some light on the mysterious happenings. And unbeknownst to anyone, there is another visitor on his way — a man who awoke from a nightmare and immediately set out to meet his destiny.”

The 1983 film came from filmmaker Michael Mann, who had previously delivered Thief and went on to helm projects like Manhunter, Heat, Ali, and Collateral. The Keep marks an outlier in Mann’s career, as a majority of his films embrace realism while this project required the heavy use of visual effects. The film was mired in behind-the-scenes struggles that complicated the final result, with Mann himself disowning the project, as it became a financial and critical failure.

Stay tuned for details on the future of The Keep.

Are you looking forward to a new adaptation of the novel? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!