Rob Zombie Set to Remake ‘The Blob’

I am going to refrain from any kind of personal opinion on this one because it has just become, quite frankly, too easy and a rather tired conversation. Instead, here are the facts as reported by Mike Fleming at Variety.

Rob Zombie will introduce to theaters tomorrow Halloween II, a sequel to his 2007 remake and from what a TV spot this afternoon told me will be “the final chapter” in the Michael Myers story. Can that be believed? Following the sequel-remake he is set to remake the 1958 horror classic The Blob, a film directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth and starring Steve McQueen and one that is held in such high esteem it is also a part of the Criterion Collection.

Zombie will write, direct and produce the remake which centers on an object from space that crashes into a field, containing a red blob-like substance that absorbs the humans it contacts and grows exponentially. Zombie is said to be a fan of the original, but the Variety report says his version will be much different.

“My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing, that’s the first thing I want to change,” Zombie said. “That gigantic Jello-looking thing might have been scary to audiences in the 1950s, but people would laugh now. I have a totally different take, one that’s pretty dark.”

Zombie will produce with Genre Company’s Richard Saperstein and Brian Witten, original Blob producer Jack H. Harris, and Judith Parker Harris of Worldwide Entertainment Corporation. Financing is said to be in place to create an R-rated film that will cost around $30 million.

Strangely, Zombie says this is a chance for him to break out of the horror genre telling Variety, “I’d been looking to break out of the horror genre, and this really is a science fiction movie about a thing from outer space. I intend to make it scary, and the great thing is, I have the freedom once again to take it in any crazy direction I want to. Even more than Halloween, where I had to deal with accepted iconic characters like Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. The Blob is more concept than specific storyline with characters, so I can go nuts with it.”

Anyone have any thoughts out there in the audience?

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