Little Shop Of Horrors Remake Gets Iconic ’80s Director

It’s only fitting that Joe Dante will be helming Little Shop of Halloween Horrors, as his directorial debut, 1976’s Hollywood Boulevard, was helmed under Corman’s guidance. Given their past collaborations and penchant for creature features, it’s safe to say that the upcoming remake will be a hilarious update to the intellectual property that expertly captures the humor that made the original film, and its 1986 remake so magical.

Not only will Joe Dante be helming Little Shop of Halloween Horrors, but he’ll also be reuniting with screenwriter Charles S. Haas. Haas has previously collaborated with Dante on Gremlins 2: The New Batch, which is a legendary horror comedy in its own right. The sequel features an absurd premise with plenty of slapstick humor, aiming to parody the original Gremlins film.

The Little Shop of Horrors was shot with a modest budget of $34,000, and gained a cult following through word of mouth. Celebrated for its dark sense of humor and farcical premise, the film centers on a plant named Audrey Jr., who craves blood and feasts on humans, which leads to disastrous results.

But perhaps what’s most impressive about the original film is that it was filmed in just two days and one night because Corman was tasked with using leftover set pieces from his previous film, A Bucket of Blood, before they were broken down.

The title was eventually adapted into an Off-Broadway musical, which then became the basis for the 1986 feature-film, Little Shop of Horrors, starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, Jim Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. Not unlike its predecessor, the 1986 version was a critical success, and quickly became a fan favorite.

By taking its inspiration from the original title, as well as its musical adaptation, Little Shop of Horrors garnered a 91 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, and is celebrated for featuring a healthy amount of campiness and catchy musical numbers that the original film was lacking.

While there is no set release date for Little Shop of Halloween Horrors, it’s apparent that the right talent has been put in place to give us yet another memorable adaptation. It’s worth noting, however, that at the time of this writing, the remake is still in its pre-production phases, and there is currently no casting information publicly available. It also remains to be seen whether there will be a musical component in the upcoming remake.

Source: Deadline