The popularity of horror comedies has surged in recent years, with breakout films like M3GAN proving to be box office successes. The year 2025 is already making an impression, featuring two successful horror comedies. The first, Companion, directed by Drew Hancock, earned an impressive $36.7 million against a modest budget of $10 million during its February release. Additionally, the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Monkey, also produced on a $10 million budget, outshined its predecessor by grossing $68.3 million in the same month.
Although the trend of horror comedies is gaining momentum in the 21st century, the subgenre is not new; it has entertained audiences for decades. The 1990s marked a significant era for horror comedies, introducing memorable titles and parodies, such as Anaconda (1997), directed by Luis Llosa. This classic film is set to be revamped for today’s audiences, featuring a stellar cast that includes Jack Black and Paul Rudd. However, not all remakes are moving forward—one 90s horror comedy project helmed by the director of Happy Death Day has been halted.
No Remake for Arachnophobia
Creative Differences Halt Progress
The anticipated remake of Arachnophobia has officially been shelved. The original film, released in 1990, centered around a deadly species of South American spider that inadvertently invades a small California town. Directed by Frank Marshall and featuring notable actors like Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, and Julian Sands, the movie was produced under the umbrella of Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. Despite excitement surrounding a remake, development has been halted.
According to Vanity Fair, director Christopher Landon revealed that disagreements over creative direction led to the project’s cancellation. In his statement, Landon expressed that there were elements that made the studio uncomfortable, leading to an impasse in negotiations. Although he did not disclose specifics about the contentious issues, this setback confirms that Arachnophobia will not proceed to production.
“There was a component that the studio was very nervous about and uncomfortable with—and that’s where we parted. I wasn’t willing to compromise on that. I wasn’t going to make a change that really felt like a soul-crushing, sell-out, bad change.”
Implications for Arachnophobia
Remake Was Close to Completion
One particularly unfortunate aspect of the cancellation of the Arachnophobia remake is that the script was already finalized. Landon and Amblin announced the film’s development nearly three years ago in June 2022, with Landon completing the screenplay by early 2023. Had creative differences not stalled the project, it is conceivable that audiences could have witnessed this reimagining sooner rather than later. As it stands, the bold ideas that faced resistance from the studio will remain unseen.
Source: Vanity Fair
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