Amazon’s purchase of MGM opened up a lot of new IPs for the streaming giant to consider for future development. One of those franchises isPoltergeist, the Tobe Hooper directed horror movie that is still consideredone of the best horror movies of all time. While the 1982 movie has already spawned two sequels, a remake and a TV series that actually had no connection to the franchise other than the name. Now it seems that the franchise is being considered for another reboot as a top priority.
Since thePoltergeistreboot in 2015, which had a reasonable theatrical box office but didn’t really excite critics or audiences, and certainly didn’t hold a candle to the original, there has been no attempt continue the story and the franchise seemed to have been laid to rest. In the meantime, there have been several other horror franchises that have taken over the malignant spirit sub-genre, such asThe Conjuring. WithPoltergeisthaving already attempted to compete with more modern horror movies, and mostly failing to do so, the question is whether it is really worth taking another shot.
According to Jeff Sneider on theHot Mic podcast, Amazon have started to come up with a strategy over their MGM properties and believePoltergeistto be one of the projects likely to get the best return. While the combination of Tobe Hooper’s direction and Steven Spielberg’s magic touch as producer helped make the original movie such a memorable movie, whether Spielberg would want to be involved in the latest revival is something that may be a tricky thing to achieve.
Related:M3GAN’s James Wan Reveals 80s Horror Movie That Instigated His Killer Doll Obsession
Is Poltergeist Really The Best MGM Property for Amazon to Focus on?
Having paid out $8.5 billion to acquire MGM, Amazon were never going to waste too much time in trying to make their huge pay out turn into a huge payday. The question is whether or not thePoltergeistfranchise is really the way for them to go to get the best return. WhilethePoltergeistnamewould generate some interest, and the horror genre is currently riding a wave of success with a number of low budget movies, there is nothing to suggest that rebootingPoltergeistcould deliver anything different to other possession/haunting movies out there already.
There are many other projects that Amazon could pursue instead, and according to Sneider there are others also getting a lot of attention from the studio. Among MGM’s biggest properties now under Amazon’s control areLegally Blonde, RoboCop, Rocky, The Thomas Crown AffairandStargate. Naturally, there are some of these franchises, such asRocky, that are not entirely up for grabs as easily as it may seem, and there is the eternal question of whether more remakes and reboots are really needed when there are so many novels out there that have yet to be adapted for the first time. How Amazon decide to proceed with their new playthings is something that will become apparent over the next few years as they pick over the various bits and pieces that are now at their disposal.
