In 1996 Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) brought us one of the coolest haunted house/ghost stories ever made, The Frighteners. This film starred Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister, a man who had a near-death experience in a car accident that killed his wife. The experience left him with the ability to see, hear, and interact with ghosts. He starts a scheme of using a couple of ghosts to haunt people’s homes and then the victims pay Frank to come and get rid of them. The film is brilliant in its mix of horror and comedy, and it has a great twist.
The horror outlet Bloody Disgustinghad recently reported that Charlize Theron and production company Denver and Delilah were working on bringing the film onto the small screen in the form of a series. Great, right? Possibly, but unfortunately there’s a pesky issue about the rights to the property. So, why am I (the guy usually against reboots and remakes) disappointed?
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The film sets up some great rules and mythology for the ghost world and how it interacts with the living world. You could easily have a new lead, Fox is too old and his Parkinson’s disease too severe, who starts off doing the same thing as Frank but finds themselves in the middle of a mystery. Maybe one where the ghosts are being killed instead of humans. A series provides a lot more time to develop characters and dive deeper into the world of ghosts.
According to the outlet, the new series wouldn’t have the humor that the film had. That is a bit worrying, but I could see a more serious take working well. If they made it a sequel series, and mention Bannister and the events he went through, I would be happy. What I don’t want is a woke version where they make the film into a series about Francine Bannister and all of the male characters are dumb or bad guys. I have a huge problem with the trend (Ghostbusters 2016, Birds of Prey) of seeking “vengeance” for the sins of Hollywood’s past. Maybe you could add in some humor late in the series or in a second season if it got one. Don’t get me wrong, you could easily use a female lead, but a new character. Original and unique… You know, being creative and original and not just virtue signaling.
What do you think about the series not being made? Do you see potential in The Frighteners series if the right situation works out? Let us know in the comments below.
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Source: Bloody Disgusting,
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