James Wan is Bringing the Eight-Legged Monsters From Arachnophobia Back
As someone who recently put 12 spider traps in a one-bedroom apartment after finding a single eight-legged creature, I can confirm they are scary little beasts. Apparently, James Wan feels the same way. His company, Atomic Monster, is teaming up with Amblin to remake the comedy horror Arachnophobia.
Fear of spiders is one of the most common phobias, which makes it perfect fodder for horror master, James Wan. Arachnophobia was unleashed in 1990 starring John Goodman and Jeff Daniels and hundreds of Avondale spiders. Yup, the film hit in the height of Amblin’s practical effects so there were actual spiders on set.
Goodman played exterminator Delbert McClintock who unwittingly became the center of a battle against deadly South American arachnids. The creatures hitch a ride to the US in a coffin and after mating with a local species begin catching humans in their web. The concept had that offbeat 90s sensibility and was a ton of fun.
Wan is attached to produce, but as of yet, no screenwriter or director has been named. Director Frank Marshall offset the scares in the original film with laughs, but Wan tends to go all in on the terror. The creepy crawlies might have more of a bite this time around. In the age of CGI, the creative spirit of Arachnophobia has the potential to get a big boost from technological advances in every conceivable film department, from digital effects to makeup effects.
Wan is wrapping up post-production on DC’s Aquaman and producing The Nun, a spinoff of The Conjuring franchise. Arachnophobia isn’t the only 90s movie Wan is mining for material. He also snagged the rights to Stephen King’s Tommyknockers earlier this year. Wan is building a serious horror library of his own with upcoming projects including feature film The Children, TV series based on Swamp Thing, and The Crooked Man next in The Conjuring series. Adding spiders to his arsenal seems like a natural move.
Featured Image: Director James Wan attends Australians In Film’s 5th Annual Awards Gala at NeueHouse Hollywood on October 19, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for AIF)
