For better or worse, one of the best horror movies of the 1980s is getting remade, with Batman’s Robert Pattinson set to produce alongside Smile director Parker Finn.
There was already a level of apprehension about the English remake of scary movie Speak No Evil, set to drop later this year. And now Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 psychological horror masterpiece Possession is getting the Hollywood treatment.
The original movie takes place in Cold War-era West Berlin, centering on the disintegration of a marriage between Anna and Mark, with Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill giving intense, haunting performances as the respective couple.
Alongside its noteworthy leads and descent into body horror, the film’s narrative, enhanced by Żuławski’s bold and experimental direction, has been lauded over the years for its profound thematic depth.
In an exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter, it’s been announced that the Smile filmmaker will attempt to recreate Possession for a modern audience, while Pattinson is set to produce via his company Icki Eneo Arlo.
The outlet stated that Finn will write, direct, and co-produce under his Bad Feeling banner. As for whether Pattinson will also star in the remake, this will be “clarified down the road.”
Right now, sources tell THR that a bidding war is heating up between A24, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros.
Though there’s certainly intrigue about the project, the news has left a lot of horror fans despairing, knowing that Possession is one of the greatest horror works of all time.
“Leave this film alone,” warned one on X/Twitter in response to the announcement, while another agreed, “Yep, not all masterpieces need a remake.”
A third added, “Baffling decision, Possession is lightning in a bottle in almost every aspect: casting, director’s personal life, and world politics being the most relevant to its uniqueness, things that can’t really be replicated.”
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Others feel bad for whoever takes on Adjani’s character, not only due to the fact that her performance cannot be beaten but also because of the emotional toll it took on her — especially when it came to that subway scene.
According to Adjani, it took her years to recover, with Żuławski even claiming that she attempted suicide after the movie.
“You can’t replace Isabelle Adjani, sorry,” said one fan on Reddit, while another wrote, “Surely they don’t mean THAT Possession… Oh they do. Well, best of luck to whoever is playing the Adjani role.”
“Yeah, you’re basically asking someone to follow up the greatest performance of all time,” added a third.
Others are a little more hopeful, however, with a number of fans referencing Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake.
“Hoping it’s a similar approach to like Guadagnino’s Suspiria that takes the meat of the original but is basically a completely different movie,” said one.
A second chimed in, “Everybody here is talking about who or how it will recreate Adjani’s freakout scene. But here’s a thought: the new movie doesn’t have to be a direct recreation. It could turn out like the Suspiria remake which was basically a different movie altogether.”
For more on horror, check out our ranking of In a Violent Nature’s grisliest scenes. You can also read everything we know about Terrifier 3, Longlegs, and MaXXXine. If you’re looking for something fresh to watch soon, here are the best new movies hitting streaming this month.