Variety.com reports that Robert Englund's horror project The Vij (previously reported as The Viy) is set to go with Englund in the director's chair and Christopher Lee in a lead role. The film is based on Nikolaj Gogol's novel, which follows a young priest who is manipulated by an evil genie into committing murder and falling in love with a witch who is not who she appears to be. The book was previously adapted as 1968's Viy and it also served as an inspiration for Mario Bava while he developed Black Sunday (1960).

Fangoria has some really interesting news regarding Robert Englund's next project. He'll be directing an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's short story "The Viy". Gogol's tale served as Mario Bava's main inspiration for Black Sunday. Englund told Fangoria that he hoped to convince horror icon Christopher Lee to star in the film, which begins filming in Italy next month.