‘Arachnophobia’ Remake in the Works With Amblin Partners, Director Christopher Landon

The “Arachnophobia” remake has (eight) legs, with Amblin Partners announcing Thursday that it has closed a deal with Christopher Landon (“Paranormal Activity”) to write and direct the horror-comedy.

The original 1990 film, directed by Frank Marshall, tells the story of a small California town that is invaded by a colony of deadly South American spiders that were accidentally brought into the U.S. The film starred Jeff Daniels as a doctor who leads the effort to defeat the colony; John Goodman, as an exterminator who assists; with Julian Sands and Harley Jane Kozak in supporting roles.

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Steven Spielberg was credited as an executive producer on the original film, and it marked Marshall’s feature directorial debut. It was the first movie released by Disney’s Hollywood Pictures label, and was produced by Amblin and Tangled Web Prods.

Variety‘s review of the original film said that “‘Arachnophobia’ expertly blends horror and tongue-in cheek comedy” and Marshall’s “sophisticated feature directing debut never indulges in ultimate gross-out effects and carefully chooses both its victims and its means of depicting their dispatch.”

This time around, James Wan (“Malignant”) and Michael Clear (“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It”) are named as producers, with Judson Scott and Marshall as executive producers. Amblin is also partnering with Wan and Clear’s Atomic Monster on the production.

Jeb Brody, president of production for Amblin Partners, will oversee the project for the studio, along with executive vice president Lauren Abrahams and senior vice president Mia Maniscalco.

Landon is represented by WME, Mosaic and his attorney is Michael Schenkman at GGSSC.

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