Reboot of Beloved ’90s Monster Movie Secretly Scrapped (And the Director Reveals Why)

At one point, filmmaker Christopher Landon was lined up to direct an Arachnophobia reboot, but he’s now revealed why that film isn’t happening. While promoting his new film Drop, Landon spoke with The Wrap and discussed what happened during development on his Arachnophobia. According to him, it was a familiar case of creative differences in Hollywood, as other people involved with the project had their own ideas for the film. Landon noted that while he wasn’t interested in compromising his vision for Arachnophobia, his departure from the project was an amicable one.

“I wrote a script that I loved. I actually think it was one of my best,” Landon said. “But the problem with that is that you still have to deal with other people who have different opinions about what kind of movie we should be making. This was a classic case of creative differences and it was something that I was not willing to change. Everybody moved on and that was just the way that it went. But at least it was a calm separation.”

An Arachnophobia reboot has been in development for years. James Wan signed on to produce such a project back in 2018. Landon later joined as director in 2022. Back in 2023, he shared an update, expressing hope for it to be his next film, but all has been quiet on that front until these latest comments.

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The original Arachnophobia, directed by Frank Marshall, was released in 1990 and earned positive reviews. It was also a modest box office success, grossing $53.2 million against a budget of $22 million. Starring the likes of John Goodman and Jeff Daniels, the film is chronicles the mission to stop an army of deadly killer spiders – the product of a large South American spider accidentally making its way into the U.S.

Creative differences are a common occurrence in the film industry, but it’s disappointing to hear that’s what happened here. With successes like the Happy Death Day series and Freaky under his belt, Landon has established himself as a talented horror director who can deftly blend the genre with comedic elements. That skill set would have made him an ideal choice to direct an Arachnophobia remake, as the original was notable for being a well-received horror comedy. It would have been fun to see Landon tap into those sensibilities again on this project. Based on his track record, he probably would have come up with something that was equal parts entertaining and thrilling. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.

In his chat with The Wrap, Landon noted that the Arachnophobia remake is “still in development,” so it will be interesting to see which filmmaker is hired to come onboard. Though the project has lingered in development for several years, there’s apparently still an interest in getting this film off the ground. Perhaps Wan, who’s no stranger to horror himself, will decide to take a stab at helming the picture. As for Landon, he is moving ahead on Happy Death Day 3, which has been a long time coming for fans of that series.