It doesn’t get much better than David Cronenberg’s The Fly, the 1986 remake of the sci-fi classic. That’s a film that works in so many ways, it’s silly to think anyone could do better. But if you had to try, a filmmaker who just made a movie about magic would be a good place to start.
A promotional image from David Cronenberg’s The Fly. Image: Fox
Deadline reports that. J.D. Dillard, whose gritty, coming-of-age magic movie Sleight opens in the US next month (an Australian release date has not yet been announced), is in negotiations to co-write and direct a new version of The Fly for 20th Century Fox.
There’s no word on how Dillard’s take, which he’ll co-write with Alex Theurer, would be different from either the 1958 original or Cronenberg’s version, which starred Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and some of the most gloriously gross transformation scenes ever. But you have to guess there’s something, either a new take on the main characters or new way to pull off the visual effects, that has Dillard and Fox on the same page.
When this would happen is also up in the air. The director is currently prepping another thriller, called Sweetheart, which he’s likely to shoot first. Nevertheless, a remake of The Fly will almost certainly be coming at some point.
[Deadline]