Who remembers 2001’s The Others? The eerie period horror starring Nicole Kidman was a sizeable hit back in the day, earning an impressive $200 million at the box office on the back of a believed $17 million budget. Now, just a year shy of its 20th anniversary, word has arrived that the Alejandro Amenabar film is getting the remake treatment.
Deadline has revealed that the LA-based Sentient Entertainment has won the rights to reboot The Others. No cast or crew have been announced just yet, but it’s said that the project is already drawing significant interest from big name actors and the major studios. It’s also noted that the plan is to reinvent and modernize the storyline seen in the first film.
In a statement to Deadline, Sentient’s manager and producer Renee Tab pointed out the “uncanny” similarities between the movie – about a family shielded from the rest of the world in their isolated home – and the current situation we’re all facing these days. It’s unclear right now if the pandemic will actually factor into the plot, but it sure seems possible.
“It is almost eerie and uncanny how timely the themes are today: self-isolation, paranoia and fear, and of course the intense desire to protect our children and ourselves from harm,” said Tab. “We look forward to unraveling the layers behind lead character Grace, whose pain and demons draw viewers into a truly compassionate journey.”
Set in Britain in the wake of World War II, The Others follows Kidman’s Grace Stewart. After her husband (Christopher Eccleston) never returns from military service, Grace employs three new servants to take care of both her secluded mansion and her two children, who must be kept in the dark due to their photosensitivity. However, the servants’ arrival kickstarts a chain of spooky events that turn the family’s lives upside down.
Tell us, do you like the sounds of a coronavirus-influenced remake of The Others? Have your say in the comments, horror fans, and stay tuned for more.