The filmmakers, who were behind praised horror movie ‘Deadstream’, have apparently come up with a brand new spin on the classic haunted house horror.
‘The Amityville Horror’. Photo: American International Pictures.
Preview:‘Deadstream’ directors Joseph and Vanessa Winter are developing a new ‘Amityville’.‘Barbarian’ producers BoulderLight are backing the movie.There’s no studio attached yet.The real-life story that spawned 1979’s ‘The Amityville Horror’ has been one of the most widely-adapted even in the horror genre, which is known for its generous servings of sequels and spin-offs.
Now, per Deadline, another set of filmmakers and producers is looking to put their own spin on it.
“For God’s sake, get out!”
63
R1 hr 58 min
Jul 27th, 1979
Writer/directors Joseph and Vanessa Winter, who have seen success in the genre with found footage pic ‘Deadstream’ (which wowed the SXSW festival in 2022) are the people who will take a new crack on the story, unmoored from past continuity.
Related Article: Robert Rodriguez Producing Remake of His 1998 Thriller ‘The Faculty’What’s the story of ‘Amityville’?
James Brolin in ‘The Amityville Horror’. Photo: American International Pictures.
The ‘Amityville’ story has its roots in Jay Ansen’s 1977 novel ‘The Amityville Horror’, which was partly used as inspiration for 1979’s eponymous movie.
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, it starred James Brolin and Margot Kidder, grossed more than $86 million against a modest budget and spawned a raft of follow-ups and reboots.
But stepping further back than that, there is a scary real-life history powering it all. That began in 1974, when Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his parents and four siblings in their home at 112 Ocean in Amityville, New York.
A year or so after the horrific crime, George and Kathy Lutz, along with their three children, moved into the house, unaware of its dark past. And shortly after settling in, they claimed to experience a series of unsettling paranormal phenomena — among them, unexplained noises, cold spots, foul odors, and sightings of strange apparitions. After just 28 days, the family fled the house, unable to endure the alleged supernatural occurrences any longer.
Yet according to Deadline’s report, the Winters are not drawing directly on any of the past movies or even the historical story, choosing instead to bring a whole new take.
Who else is involved in the new ‘Amityville’?
(L to R) Jack Quaid as Josh and Sophie Thatcher as Iris in New Line Cinema’s ‘Companion,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Clearly, the idea is good enough to have sparked the interest of BoulderLight, the production company that has partnered on the likes of Zach Cregger’s ‘Barbarian’, Drew Hancock’s ‘Companion’ and Anna Kendrick’s ‘Woman of the Hour’.
Most recently, the team backed the Tim Robinson/Paul Rudd offbeat comedy ‘Friendship’.
Also involved? Divide/Conquer, which was behind recent horrors such as ‘Heart Eyes’ and Prime Video’s ‘Totally Killer’.
So far, there’s no word on which studio might jump on the new ‘Amityville’ movie, but given that BoulderLight has a first-look deal with New Line, there’s a good chance it could well be interested.
When will ‘Amityville’ be on screens?With the movie still in development, and no studio home decided, we’ll have to wait and see where it ends up.
(L to R) Margot Kidder, James Brolin in ‘The Amityville Horror’. Photo: American International Pictures.
Other ‘Amityville Horror’ Movies:’The Amityville Horror’ (1979)’Amityville II: The Possession’ (1982)’Amityville 3D’ (1983)’Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes’ (1989)’The Amityville Curse’ (1990)’Amityville: A New Generation’ (1993)’The Amityville Horror’ (2005)’The Amityville Haunting’ (2011)’The Amityville Asylum’ (2013)Buy ‘Amityville Horror’ Movies on Amazon
