David Cronenberg’s early entry into body horror, Rabid, is set to be remade with Jen and Sylvia Soska attached to direct, Variety reports.
John Vidette’s Somerville House Releasing has entered into a joint venture with Paul Lalonde and Michael Walker to produce a feature film and original TV series based on the 1977 Canadian horror film.
Rabid starred Marilyn Chambers in a film that “explored the world of experimental plastic surgery with Chambers playing a woman injured in a motorcycle accident who underwent a surgical operation and developed a stinger that she uses to feed on people’s blood — triggering an outbreak of a rabies-like epidemic that turned its victims into bloodthirsty zombies.“
The Soskas, who are identical twin sisters from British Columbia, directed American Mary, Dead Hooker in a Trunk and See No Evil 2.
“The work of David Cronenberg is legendary and Rabid is much more than just a horror movie,” the Soskas said. “The real message of his film is powerful, and even more pivotal as we look at the world around us today. It’s an honor to be involved in this love letter to his original, which we handle with the same respect as Paul Schrader’s Cat People, Alexandre Aja’s The Hills Have Eyes and John Carpenter’s The Thing.”
Rabid was one of Cronenberg’s first films. He followed it with Fast Company, Scanners, The Brood, Videodrome, The Dead Zone and even The Fly.
Filming will take place in the summer in Canada.