As we recently reported, J.D. Dillard (Sleight) is in line to co-write and direct a redux of The Fly for Fox. The project is still in the very early stages of development but Dillard did take a moment to discuss his ambitions with SlashFilm. And it sounds like the director may be on the right track. He made it clear that his focus is to make an emotional connection with his audience, as well as making a movie that will sell tickets. See what he had to say, below.
“For me – and this would be about The Fly, but this is also about Alex and my approach to remakes because post-Sleight that has been the conversation for what a lot of big flashy studio gigs are – no matter what, we want to start with character. I think if you look at a lot of remakes, and the ones that may have not been as successful as others, I think often times the wrong pieces are remade. Having this conversation about bigger projects and IP, we really want to make sure we are following a beating heart first and foremost.”
“…I want to be really gutted emotionally and feel something but also all the pieces from a blockbuster are there too. That’s the gap that I would love to find a way to close.”
Early reports suggest that Dillard will co-pen the script with his screenwriting partner Alex Theurer.
This isn’t the first time that buzz has circulated about rebooting the film. David Cronenberg actually had Fox interested in a pitch to reimagine his film in 2012. But that ship has since sailed.
Cronenberg’s 1986 film follows Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) as he begins to turn into a giant fly after a botched experiment.
No additional details have been revealed at this juncture, but we will keep you informed as we learn more.
