A reboot ofUrban Legendis in the works. The original 1998 movie, which was a slasher following a killer committing murders inspired by urban legends on a college campus, holds a 30% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes with a nearly matching 37% audience score but grossed $72.5 million against its $14 million budget in spite of its bad reviews. The project, which inspired anUrban Legendtrilogythat concluded in 2005, boasts a star-studded cast that includes Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson, Loretta Devine, Tara Reid, Michael Rosenbaum, and Robert Englund.
PerThe Hollywood Reporter,Sony is now in early development on a reboot of 1998’sUrban Legend. Shanrah Wakefield (Killer in Red) will pen the screenplay for the movie, which is being produced by Gary Dauberman (It,Annabelle) via Coin Operated. Additionally, original producer Neal Moritz is in talks to board the horror movie. The new movie is set to update the premise to explore how the “post-digital world” affects urban legends. A reboot was previously announced by Screen Gems in February 2020, but that project ran out of steam amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
What This Means For Urban Legend
The Movie’s Approach Remains To Be Seen
Although plot details are thin on the ground,the focus on urban legends in the digital age could mean a return to form for the franchise. While this could potentially mean the exploration of more supernaturally tinged stories like those found in “creepypasta” posts, it seems more likely that the new slasher will focus on the same type of non-paranormal urban legends found in the originalJared Leto horror movie, including “the killer in the backseat” and “Pop Rocks and Coke.” This would be a reversal from the predominantly supernatural story of the so-far final installment,Urban Legends: Bloody Mary.
2005’sUrban Legends: Bloody Marywas directed by Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary) and stars Kate Mara (House of Cards).
The presence of Gary Dauberman muddies the water somewhat, however, ashe is best known for supernatural horror, having written the screenplays forAnnabelle,It,The Nun, and theupcomingUntil Dawnin addition to both writing and directingAnnabelle Comes Homeand 2024’sSalem’s Lot. His producing credits also include supernatural horror offerings likeThe Curse of La Llorona, so if his output remains consistent, theUrban Legendreboot may in fact continue the trend set byBloody Mary.
Our Take On The Urban Legend Reboot
It Could Be A Major Improvement
As those Rotten Tomatoes scores prove, the originalUrban Legendmay have been a success, but it is not necessarily a beloved property. This means thatthere is ample room for improvement. If the new movie does find a way to improve upon the source material and make a more universally beloved movie, the upcoming project could stand tall among other modern reboots and legacy sequels that reimagine titles from the late 1990s, including the newScreammoviesand the upcomingI Know What You Did Last Summer.
