Val Lewton Films Get Twisted Remakes

Twisted Pictures, the genre arm of Evolution Entertainment, will produce remakes of four classic horror films in a joint venture with RKO Pictures. The deal would allow Twisted to follow in the footsteps of Robert Zemeckis's Dark Castle pictures, substituting Val Lewton in for William Castle. Three of the four remake titles have been selected: I Walked with a Zombie (1943), The Body Snatcher (1945), and Bedlam (1946).

The fourth title is up for speculation -- technically, it could be any of RKO's horror offerings. However, rights for Cat People, King Kong, and The Thing all rest with Universal, while Disney has Mighty Joe Young. This leaves The Monkey's Paw (1933), The Leopard Man (1943), The Seventh Victim (1943), Curse of the Cat People (1944), and Isle of the Dead (1945) as possibilities. If I could be allowed a little personal speculation, The Seventh Victim is perhaps the most ripe for a reimagining, although the sensational titles of The Leopard Man or Isle of the Dead may prove more enticing for the people at Twisted Pictures.