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After Rob Zombie finished up on his most recent movie, 3 From Hell, the director has yet to attach himself to another project; horror remakes seem to be the current trend for the genre, and there are some that could use Zombie’s unique aesthetic vision to reach their true potential.
Though Zombie tends to leave a little bit of a time gap between one project and another, there’s never a wrong time to start thinking of what opportunities could be ahead. Several major properties, including Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream have been discussed as having new additions, Blumhouse has discussed remaking Universal’s Dark Universe, which Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man will approach in 2020, and franchises like Candyman are also seeing a resurrection.
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While Zombie’s tenure directing his Halloween remakes in 2007 and 2009 were certainly not without their struggles, his unique vision has distinct potential to create really good, modern adaptations of other horror films. In an interview with Loudwire, Zombie himself said that nothing is too sacred for a remake, so perhaps there are a few ideas that could tempt him to give remakes another try.
Horror Remakes Rob Zombie Should Direct
According to Howard Stern, Rob Zombie is a huge fan of The Munsters, and has seen every episode 17 times. The director himself has stated a fondness for classic horror cinema as well, and lists Dracula (1931), The Black Cat (1934), and Island of Lost Souls (1933) amongst his favorite movies. The director also has a fondness for Bela Lugosi as an actor, and his body of work in general. While these movies are distinctly different from his overall style, his appreciation for that era of cinema might lend him to be an excellent choice for another Dark Universe movie like Frankenstein, which was originally directed by James Whale in 1931 and starred Boris Karloff as The Monster.
Though there have been modern interpretations, such as Larry Fessenden’s Depraved in 2019, Zombie would certainly bring more horror (and blood) to the Monster’s tale. It would be even more fascinating if he cast someone like Ken Foree, with whom he’s collaborated previously in The Lords of Salem. The actor’s 6’5″ stature would be imposing and bring some smart social commentary, as Frankenstein’s monster is traditionally played by white actors. On a more obvious note, since the Friday the 13th legal battle may be coming to a close sooner rather than later, and 2020 marks forty years since the film debuted. Zombie could tackle another major horror franchise that’s more aligned with his aesthetic and style of filmmaking.
Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby would be in similar design to what Zombie has done before with The Lords of Salem. However, Zombie could explore Rosemary’s story and really add in its Satanic elements in a way that could be more vicious than the original. One of the best choices might be something that has a controversial reputation and likely wouldn’t be resurrected without specific interest. Tod Browning’s Freaks first premiered in 1932 and featured real circus performers who all had varying degrees of talent or physical deformities. The film’s premise was about a trapeze artist who schemed to marry a wealthy little person. Tod Browning also directed Dracula, so there’s overlap in interest. Rob Zombie also has ties to the circus, as his mother’s side of the family worked in carnivals. Zombie has stated that it was “the family business“. Regardless of his next project, Zombie’s efforts always tend to drum up interest with his loyal fanbase.
