Remake of Nicole Kidman Horror Thriller ‘The Others’ Is in Development
Another remake is on the way from Hollywood, and this time it’s a Nicole Kidman horror classic. In the latest round of movie reboot news, The Others takes the spotlight. A slow-paced thriller with an unexpected twist ending, it’s considered one of the smartest scary films of its time.
A short history on ‘The Others’
Before The Conjuring and The Haunting in Connecticut, there was The Others. Set in the post-World War II era, this is anything but a period drama. The 2001 flick stars Kidman as Grace Stewart, a married mother of two whose children are afflicted with a medical condition rendering them allergic to sunlight. She hires three servants to help with their care.
Grace, in a perpetual state of waiting for her husband to come home from the war, cares for her children in a large, country home. Odd sounds, moving objects, and weird occurrences lead Grace to believe the house is haunted. It’s a mystery and horror film rolled into one but the ending is remarkably clever.
Written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar, the movie grossed more than $200 million at the box office.
Universal Pictures confirms ‘The Others’ remake
A reboot was first announced in April when Sentient Entertainment bought the rights to the film. On Oct. 12, Deadline reported that Sentient and Universal teamed up to develop the remake. It’s officially a go.
Several producers are working on the project including Enrique Cerezo of Video Mercury Films, one of the companies that sold the rights to Sentient.
It’s rumored the reboot will be a modern take on The Others with an updated backdrop. Back in April, producer Renee Tab told Deadline that’s it her favorite horror movie and she believes the film’s themes are relevant today.
“It is almost eerie and uncanny how timely the themes are today: self-isolation, paranoia and fear, and of course the intense desire to protect our children and ourselves from harm,” Tab said. “We look forward to unraveling the layers behind lead character Grace, whose pain and demons draw viewers into a truly compassionate journey.”
In June, Variety reported that a Spanish-language TV adaptation is also on the way from BTF Media. The firm purchased the television series rights for the story with plans to turn it into a drama.
The original film involved Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman
According to Mental Floss, Cruise remade one of Amenábar’s other films titled Abre los Ojos. After buying the rights to it, he and Cameron Crowe made it into Vanilla Sky, an English adaptation.
As an admirer of the young screenwriter’s work, Cruise was eager to acquire the movie rights for The Others, which was originally called Los Otros.
He worked as an executive producer alongside Kidman and Amenábar to bring it to an international audience. Parts of the movie were shot in England and Spain, and filming was so intense that the kid actors refrained from being in the sunlight during its three-month duration to stay in character.
There’s no word if Amenábar is tied to the new project and it is unlikely that Kidman will appear in the revival. Fans reacted with a lukewarm reaction to the news but casting updates may change that.
