Exclusive: They Live Reboot In The Works, Star And Director Attached
Update October 2023: This Giant Freakin Robot exclusive was confirmed by producer Sandy King who spoke about the They Live reboot being in the works.
Sounds like someone ran out of bubble gum again. Our trusted and proven sources tell us that John Carpenter’s 1988 cult classic They Live is getting rebooted as They Live: The Conspiracy Unveiled. The new film is planned to have a more contemporary feel with The Batman director Matt Reeves helming the reboot and Andy Serkis (Black Panther) attached to star.
We’ve exclusively learned Matt Reeves of The Batman fame is directing a reboot of They Live with Andy Serkis attached to star.
We don’t yet know who Serkis will play in They Live: The Conspiracy Unveiled, though with him so far being the only star attached, he could have the lead role.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of Matt Reeves attached to revive They Live. Attempts to remake the film were first reported in 2010, and the following year Deadline revealed Reeves had been tapped to helm. It was also reported that John Carpenter was attached to produce.
However, Deadline’s report claimed that, rather than strictly a remake of They Live, in 2011 the plan was for Reeves to adapt something closer to the source material — Ray Nelson’s 1963 short story “Eight O’Clock in the Morning” — than it would be to the 1988 film. It would also not be a satire like Carpenter’s feature.
Considering development began over a decade ago, there’s no telling whether or not that remains the case.
The Original They Live
John Carpenter’s They Live starred Roddy Piper as Nada — a construction worker who learns a terrifying secret. The Earth of They Live is thick with skeletal looking aliens and hidden propaganda which can only be revealed via a special pair of sunglasses Nada gets his hands on.
Soon Nada is on a quest to somehow reveal the alien conspiracy, eventually with the help of Frank (Keith David), though their alliance isn’t without its bumps in the road. One of the many things They Live is famous for is “The Long Fight” — a six minute alleyway fight scene between Nada and Frank which, depending on your tastes, is one of the coolest scenes ever, or something you’ll need a nap in the middle of.
John Carpenter helmed such genre classics as Starman, The Thing, Halloween, and Big Trouble in Little China, and They Live remains one of his most acclaimed films. The satire wasn’t just a success on the critical front either. While its $13 million worldwide gross would seem like pennies compared to that of most modern sci-fi blockbusters, considering the production budget of $3 million, it afforded the film a healthy profit.
One of the many things They Live is famous for is “The Long Fight” – a six minute alleyway fight scene which, depending on your tastes, is one of the coolest scenes ever, or something you’ll need a nap in the middle of.
Helming The Batman, the upcoming sequel, and the Planet of the Apes film series, Matt Reeves is no stranger to either sci-fi or to reviving genre franchises.
Once we know more about the They Live reboot, we’ll make sure you know.
