Arachnophobia has to be one of the most underrated creature features of all-time. The 1990 film managed to be both a thrilling B-movie as well as a parody of the genre, while also boasting a cast that included the likes of Jeff Daniels and John Goodman, and yet no one ever talks about. While similar films have earned cult followings, it sometimes seems as if Arachnophobia never even existed, or at the very least, no one remembers it. But it looks like at least one important person is a fan, and that could change everything.
Horror director and producer extraordinaire James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring) is reportedly set produce a remake of Arachnophobia under his Atomic Monster studio label, in partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, according to Deadline. Details are scarce at this time, but Wan is not expected to direct, and the production is set to assign a writer soon. The original Arachnophobia was also produced by Amblin, and was directed by Amblin co-founder Frank Marshall in his directorial debut. The movie was also produced by Amblin’s third co-founder and current Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy, who is also Marshall’s wife. It’s unknown if either of them will be involved in the remake.
The original Arachnophobia told the story of an extremely dangerous spider from Venezuela making its way to small town USA, where it quickly multiplies and creates a deadly new breed of arachnid that takes over the town. The film featured loads of creepy crawlies, as well as John Goodman’s over-the-top exterminator, and was pretty much a funny, spider-themed Jurassic Park three years before that movie hit theaters; with shades of Gremlins thrown in for good measure. It’s a shame it never reached the status it deserved, as its easily the best movie about spiders ever, but hopefully the remake will get more eyeballs on the original while also offering a fun new interpretation of the story.
