As the filmmaker gears up for the sequel to his hit feature debut, Parker Finn has an encouraging update for hisPossessionremake. Hailing from writer/director Andrzej Żuławski, the cult classic 1981 horror movie revolved around an international spy who returns from a mission to find his wife asking for a divorce, only for her to subsequently begin displaying bizarre behavior that puts both him and their son at risk. Development of aPossessionremake was first announced in early June 2024, with Finn, best known for writing and directingtheSmilemovies, attached to write, direct and produce alongside Robert Pattinson and Roy Lee from Vertigo Entertainment.
During a recent interview withSFX Magazinefor the upcoming release ofSmile 2, Finn was asked for an update on hisPossessionremake. The writer/director started by acknowledging that the movie is still in its “early days”, but celebrating that the original 1981 cult horror classic is “one of my favorite films of all time”, and as such hasthe goal of “honoring the original”:
It’s early days, but we’re incredibly excited about this completely bonkers movie. Possession is one of my favorite films of all time, and so what was really important to me was that we were honoring the original and staying true to its absolute frenzied, manic ferocity.
Finn went on to explain that he also wants to make sure that thePossessionremake proves to be an appropriately effective movie for both fans of the original and newcomers, acknowledging that the former “might be a little suspect of a remake”:
We want to make sure that fans of the original, who might be a little suspect of a remake, when they sit down to it are gonna realize, “Oh, this movie is for me, and it’s really embracing what I love.” At the same time, though, I want to be inviting new fans in. I think there’s a really wonderful opportunity that by reimagining this movie, people who haven’t seen the 1981 film will go and visit it, so hopefully it’ll spread the love.
What Finn’s Update Says About The Possession Remake
The Writer/Director Is Taking His Time Updating The Cult Classic
While it could be argued that Finn saying thePossessionremake is still in its early days of development is due tohis busy schedule promotingthe upcomingSmile 2, his comments above make it sound just as likely that he doesn’t want to rush through putting the project together. His fondness for the cult classic makes him a promising person to be at the helm for translating the original for a modern-day setting, particularly for his pointing out its “frenzied, manic ferocity”, arguably one of the major reasons for why the movie continues to be a genre favorite over 40 years later.
Possessionwas infamously known as a “video nasty” and banned in the United Kingdom for years, with its American release losing more than a third of its runtime and being trimmed down to 81 minutes, which was lambasted by critics compared to its Cannes Film Festival premiere.
The other likely reason why thePossessionremake may not come anytime soon is Pattinson’s own busy schedule. Though not officially confirmed to star in the movie, early reports of his attachment as a producer for the project did also indicate that Pattinson’s deal left an option for him to star in the movie. Between the star’s impending busy schedule with the press tour forBong Joon-ho’sMickey 17and non-specific 2025 filming start forThe Batman — Part II, if Finn does want to wait for Pattinson to be available, he may get the opportunity to spend more time perfecting his script.
Our Take On Finn’s Possession Remake Comments
His Passion Combined With Early Horror Start Is Promising
Though it remains to be seen if Finn’sSmile 2can match the same critical and commercial success of his chilling feature debut, his approach to thePossessionremake does give me some confidence in having him at the helm. The original American release may have been a body horror movie, butthe fullPossessionstoryactually has a lot more depth to it, and if Finn can find a way to capture the horror as much as the drama of a destabilizing marriage, the movie could effectively update the cult classic for a modern setting.
Possession
Cast
Possession is a horror-drama film by director Andrzej Żuławski that was released in 1981. The film follows international spy Mark, who returns home only for his wife to divorce him and leave him for another man. The triangle between the three grows increasingly violent, but the truth behind Anna goes deeper and darker than any of them realize.
