David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick has helped bring several major projects to life with his work as a screenwriter, but he has yet to sit in the director’s chair. That changes with his latest project, which is a remake of an acclaimed horror movie originally released in France three years ago.
Variety has revealed that a remake of Vincent Must Die is in development from AR Content, Vertigo, and Blumhouse Atomic Monster. Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring: Last Rites, Insidious: Out of the Further) is making his directorial debut for the film after writing the script. Stuart Manashil is executive producing alongside Goodfellas, while producers include AR Content’s Alexander Rodnyansky and Michael Kupisk, as well as Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee, and Blumhouse Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear.
Vincent Must Die Gets Reimagined for a Wider Audience
“I’m so grateful to my collaborators at AR Content, Vertigo and Atomic Monster for bringing me this opportunity and trusting in my vision,” Johnson-McGoldrick said in a statement. “I immediately fell in love with the film, and so having a chance to step into this crazy world they created is a dream come true.”
Clear added, “We couldn’t be happier to be in business with David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick again on this film. David brings a keen sense of story and a knack for the cinematic experience to everything he does. We’re thankful to our partners at AR Content and Vertigo and looking forward to bringing Vincent Must Die to life for a whole new audience.”
The French-language original, also known as Vincent doit mourir, was directed by Stéphan Castang, also serving as a directorial debut for the filmmaker. It was written by Mathieu Naert and Dominique Baumard alongside Castang. It tells the story of an ordinary man named Vincent (Karim Leklou) who starts having random people trying to kill him for no apparent reason. The attempts on his life only increase and intensify as the bizarre phenomenon starts to spread, while it seems that a waitress (Vimala Pons) he meets is the only person in the area who doesn’t want to murder him.
Vincent Must Die Was Highly Praised But Underseen
With its unique premise, the film was a huge critical hit. It is scored at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and won several awards at festivals. However, it was not a smash hit at the box office and remains an underseen treasure. The goal with the U.S. remake appears to be recreating the uniquely compelling story of the French original for a much bigger audience.
“The original Vincent Must Die is an extraordinary and thrilling piece of cinema, and I am honored to help bring this story to an even wider audience,” AR Content’s Rodnyansky noted. “David has created some of the most powerful and memorable films in the horror genre, and I have complete faith in his vision for this adaptation. I’m excited to be partnering with David, Roy and Michael to bring this film to life.”
This also means there are multiple horror remakes in the works with Blumhouse’s involvement. A reimagining of The Blair Witch Project was announced earlier this year. The studio is also attached to new franchise installments for The Exorcist, Paranormal Activity, and Saw.
A release date has not been set for the Vincent Must Die remake.
