A Legendary Horror Franchise With Over 50 Movies Is Getting a Radical New Reboot

The Amityville Horror is returning with yet another movie. Deadline revealed on Tuesday that a brand-new Amityville Horror movie is currently in the works. The latest movie will be directed by Joseph and Vanessa Winter, who will helm the feature from their own screenplay. The new film is being described as a new “radical spin on the famed haunted house story for a new generation.” The project is expected to be fast-tracked in order to enter production later this year. The directing duo is perhaps best known for their SXSW found footage horror movie Deadstream, which has received plenty of critical acclaim since its premiere.

This marks the latest installment in a franchise that has already received over 50 installments, although only five have actually made their way to the big screen. The first film, The Amityville Horror, was released in 1979 and earned $86.4 million at the worldwide box office. It was followed by two more installments, released by Orion Pictures, with 1982’s Amityville II: The Possession, and 1983’s Amityville 3-D. A Ryan Reynolds-led remake eventually hit theaters in 2005, earning $65.2 million at the worldwide box office, with another film following in 2017 with Amityville: The Awakening. The latter was only released in 10 theaters, and earned a dismal $8.4 million worldwide.

The latest film will not be a remake of the previous films, nor will it be based on Jay Anson’s bestselling book. Instead, the Winters will draw inspiration from the real-life paranormal stories that were ultimately behind those stories. Per the outlet, this latest installment is expected to offer a new look at the Amityville house, as well as the legend that belongs in the public domain. Those tales, of course, go back to 1974, when Ronald DeFeo Jr. took the lives of his parents and siblings in the Amityville home located on 112 Ocean Avenue. Soon after, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the home where the tragedy occurred and claimed to experience paranormal phenomena. This new take on the horror is not expected to include the DeFeo murders or the Lutz family tales.

Read Next

Chucky Just Crossed Over With A Major Horror Franchise

Their feature debut, Deadstream, made its debut at South by Southwest in 2022 and was eventually released by the horror streaming service, Shudder. Prior to working on Deadstream, the duo also directed a segment for V/H/S/99 titled “To Hell and Back.” That segment also premiered in 2022 at the Toronto International Film Festival.

BoulderLight Pictures, who produced the hit film Barbarian, and Divide/Conquer, who produced Heart Eyes, will team up to produce the latest Amityville Horror flick. While no studio is yet attached to this new take, it’s expected that BoulderLight will first present the package to New Line, given they have a first look deal with the studio. The hope is to find a home soon so that it can go into production before the fourth quarter, more than likely for a release next year.

As of now, the new Amityville Horror movie does not have a release date. Fans can, however, familiarize themselves with the work of the Winters by streaming Deadstream exclusively on Shudder. The original Amityville Horror movie is now available to stream on Netflix, while the Reynolds-led remake is now available to stream on HBO Max.