Caffeinated Clint
Fourth movie has legs
MGM have been tinkering with the idea of continuing the “Poltergeist” series – a series that ended on a sour note, what with the tragic death of young Heather O’Rourke just before the third film’s completion (she didn’t participate in the re-shoots) and, well, the fact that the third one wasn’t much chop – since, well, Sony became the new deciding party in that equation.
Michael Grais, writer or “Poltergeist” and co-writer of “Poltergeist II : The Other Side”, has been coaxed back to the land of scary old farts; evil bedside clowns and [very] long-distance phone calls, it seems. Word has it – confirmed by three people in the know – that he may have scored the job of penning the next “Poltergeist” film.
The new film “Poltergeist: In the Shadows” is in the “early stages of development right now”, sources inform us.
I can tell you that the new film is in no way based on “Poltergeist: Kayeri” – of which I penned the first scriptment pre-Sony/MGM amalgamate – and have been informed that it’s not a remake of the first film either. One can only assume “Shadows” will encompass the mythology and world of the first three films but not necessarily feature any of the previous cast or characters (In contrast to “Kayeri”, which would’ve seen Craig T.Nelson reprising his role as Stephen Freeling). Honestly, I don’t know. And I won’t know. So please don’t ask for any more on it. My guess is as good as yours.
What I do know is that the film will be prepped as a theatrical release, and isn’t intended to be one of MGM’s direct-to-video sequels (of which they’re doing quite a few, at the moment).
“I believe it’ll take it another direction”, an insider told us this morning. “You know as well as anyone how many times they’ve tried to get a Poltergeist 4 off the ground; too many to count. Grais might be the man to revive it.”
Wish him luck! I think there’s real potential in the “Poltergeist” series/name…
Thanks to ‘Kane’, ‘X’s Manager’, ‘Gem Guy’
