Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller has signed on to write and direct a remake of Christine for Blumhouse. The original novel was penned by Stephen King, and then turned into a film by John Carpenter. King and Carpenter probably take up two spots on the horror Mount Rushmore, so if you’re going to remake a horror movie, rejigging something previously worked on by them is a pretty smart move.
Both King’s book and Carpenter’s film were released in 1983. The story revolves around a high school misfit who finds some self-confidence when he works on a broken-down 1958 Plymouth Fury. Unfortunately, the vehicle has a fierce protectiveness of its owner and likes to murder people who threaten their relationship.
Fuller is reportedly looking to keep his version as a period piece set in the 80s, which is probably no problem for Blumhouse, who probably think of King + the 80s and see dollar signs. The IT films, based on King’s mammoth novel, cashed in partly on 80s nostalgia to make a killing at the box office, and Netflix’s Stranger Things did the same on the smaller screen.
Christine will mark Fuller’s feature-directorial debut, but as mentioned, he created Hannibal, which only lasted 39 episodes but is beloved by its fanbase. He also developed the adaptation of American Gods, co-created Star Trek: Discovery, and was a writer on a number of seasons of Heroes. So while this may be his feature debut, he’s got plenty of experience.
Christine is a strange but great film, so it will be interesting to see how it’s adapted. Keeping the 80s setting probably means that Fuller’s remake will be closer to Carpenter’s original film, since a contemporary setting might have allowed him to play around with some original ideas a bit more. We’ll see.
Fuller is also writing the screenplay. Jason Blum, Vincenzo Natali, and Steven Hoban are riding shotgun as producers.
#Peace.Love.Christine
