The Evil Dead Franchise Just Revealed A Terrifying New Target For Its Next Horror Remake
Horror franchises used to fear change. These days, the smart ones chase it, handing the keys to hungry new filmmakers instead of recycling the same scares forever.
Few franchises embody that strategy better than ‘Evil Dead.’ French filmmaker Sébastien Vaniček, previously known for his creature feature ‘Infested,’ was tapped to direct ‘Evil Dead Burn,’ the sixth film in a franchise that has been scaring audiences since 1981. The film follows Alice, a grieving widow who retreats to her late husband’s secluded family home, only to find herself trapped in a nightmare when the Book of the Dead unleashes an ancient evil on her in-laws, and it has already picked up strong reviews from critics.
Now Vaniček has revealed his next dream project, and it has nothing to do with Deadites. During a Reddit AMA promoting ‘Evil Dead Burn,’ a fan asked which other property he would love to get his hands on. Vaniček answered that he would want to dig into ‘The Mask,’ but make it closer to the source comic books, adding that those original comics are actually very violent and dark.
That comment lands differently once you know ‘The Mask’ almost was a horror movie to begin with. The 1994 film starring Jim Carrey was based on the comic series from Dark Horse Comics, and New Line originally hoped to use the property to create their next Freddy Krueger style villain before it evolved into a family friendly comedy under director Chuck Russell. Vaniček essentially wants to undo three decades of tonal softening and return the character to his blood soaked roots.
The commercial version of ‘The Mask’ obviously worked out fine for everyone involved. The film grossed over $351 million worldwide, spawning the sequel ‘Son of the Mask’ and an animated series, though the franchise has otherwise remained dormant since then. A grittier reboot could be exactly the jolt needed to bring the character back into the conversation.
Dread Central’s Brad, who first shared Vaniček’s comments online, called it a movie he desperately wants to see, and it is easy to understand why horror fans are already rallying around the idea. Interestingly, the original ‘The Mask’ director has separately floated bringing Jim Carrey back as a different iconic horror villain, suggesting there is a real appetite in Hollywood to let this franchise get scary again.
Vaniček’s taste for uncompromising violence should not come as a shock either. He has spoken about his love for Kentaro Miura’s ‘Berserk,’ one of the most brutally violent manga ever created, which lines up perfectly with his vision for a savage, comic accurate take on ‘The Mask.’ Whether a studio actually greenlights this idea remains to be seen, but the pitch alone has horror fans buzzing.
Would you want to see ‘The Mask’ reimagined as the gruesome horror story its comic book origins always intended, or does Jim Carrey’s green faced troublemaker work best as a comedy icon?
