“Grave Encounters,” the 2011 found footage horror film that earned a cult following among genre fans and spawned a 2012 sequel, is set to scare new audiences with a reboot.
Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, who wrote and directed the original film and also wrote “Grave Encounters 2,” are set to develop the new film, which is set to star Justin Long, who is producing alongside his wife and frequent creative partner, Kate Bosworth. Minihan, Ortiz and original producer Shawn Angelski are also onboard as producers.
The original film followed the doomed crew of a ghost hunting reality show when they stumble across real terror in an abandoned mental hospital. The new film aims to “modernize the concept into a cinematic experience, heightening the dread, claustrophobia, and psychological terror that made the original a fan favorite.”
Most recently, Minihan directed the killer canine comedy “Coyotes,” set to debut on Sept. 20 at Fantastic Fest. Long and Bosworth both star in the film.
“Our creative connection with Colin was undeniable on ‘Coyotes’ and we wanted to continue that relationship as quickly as possible,” Long and Bosworth said in a joint statement. “He is a very rare combination of brilliant film maker and fun collaborator, and we are thrilled to help him resurrect a new imagining of one of his first horror gems, ‘Grave Encounters.’ ‘Grave Encounters’ has such a passionate fan base, and we include ourselves among them. We hope to honor the legacy of the original film, while unleashing something even darker.”
“We made ‘Grave Encounters’ in our 20s on a self-financed shoestring budget, and it scared the hell out of people,” Minihan and Ortiz said in a statement. “Justin has defined genre cinema for over a decade and is the definitive scream king. He’s the perfect choice to reimagine ‘Grave Encounters’ for a new generation.”
Production on the new “Grave Encounters” is set to begin next year.