Bay Behind "Amityville" Remake
Friday, October 24, 2003 10:16 AM EDT
Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller have been tapped by MGM to mount a remake of the 1979 hit "The Amityville Horror".
The Jay Anson book on which "Horror" was based purported that the residents of a tree-lined home in a Long Island suburb were terrorized by a haunted house. The home had been inhabited previously by a disturbed young man who murdered his family. The story was widely criticized as being fake.
The film was a huge hit and spawned seven sequels. Bay thinks the famous house is ready to be haunted by Hollywood once again.
Bay formed Platinum Dunes to hatch genre fare and give directing opportunities to video and commercials directors he has worked with.
The company has been courted by studios after the success of its Marcus Nispel-directed "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
Bay said the New Line film cost $9.2 million, and last weekend it scared up an opening gross more than three times its cost. However, it doesn't look like a sequel will happen.
"We've heard from the rights holders on 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' that they want what Hillary Clinton earned for writing her book," Bay said. "That simply isn't worth it to us."
