New Film Will Expand The Universe Of David Cronenberg’s ‘The Fly’ – Making The Classic Safe From A Remake Treatment, For Now
A new film set in the world of David Cronenberg’s The Fly is underway, but it won’t be a remake. You’re out of luck if you were hoping for some plot details. It seems that the details are being kept tightly under wraps.
But we do know from Deadline that the film would take place within the existing universe of The Fly. According to their coverage, Nikyatu Jusu, the director behind the 2022 psychological horror Nanny, will write and direct this new project for 20th Century Studios.
The timing is interesting. The news comes at a time when body horror (a genre rooted in unnerving physical transformations) is experiencing a notable resurgence in popular culture. One recent success, The Substance, tapped into this fascination, grossing $43 million worldwide despite a modest budget.
Studio producers could place a greater emphasis on practical effects in the future; think of John Carpenter’s classic, The Thing, as this writer’s personal hope.
David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986), itself an adaptation of a 1957 short story and 1958 film starring Vincent Price. Anyone who has seen the Cronenberg classic knows that it is a hallmark of body horror. Starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, the story revolves around a scientist whose genetic fusion with a fly leads to a gruesome physical transformation.
Cronenberg’s vision with memorable practical effects cemented the film’s reputation as a horror masterpiece. Its emphasis on unsettling, visceral transformations has continued to inspire horror filmmakers and maintain its standing as a genre-defining work.
From what we know, it seems that Jusu’s project will continue this legacy, but it also looks to explore the unsettling themes established by Cronenberg but with a modern twist, which moviegoers can see as a red flag. Regardless, Jusu has the opportunity to expand on his core ideas.
If done right, this new movie can see the integrity of the original film being expanded upon well with new characters, stories, etc. The fact the studio is looking to create an original story within the world of The Fly instead of an easy remake is an interesting turn from studio behavior over the last twenty years.
According to her IMDB, Jusu has worked on several short films, an episode of Two Sentence Horror Stories, and directed Nanny. Currently, she is connected to multiple high-profile projects that are in development. Deadline reported that she is slated to direct a sequel to Night of the Living Dead, one of the most iconic horror franchises.
That’s a lot to take on in a short bit of time, so it will be interesting to see how this director can handle working with some well-known IPs. Time will tell if Jusu will make a name for herself in horror and it might all ride on how her interpretation of the universe of The Fly.
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