Scott Derrickson wants to cement his legacy as a modern horror master, and he’s out to make another smash hit with Universal Pictures.
Scott Derrickson is reportedly set to direct an adaptation of Davis Grubb’s classic 1953 novel The Night of the Hunter for the studio. Deadline confirms that the director is attached to the project.
Derrickson will work on the script written by longtime collaborator C. Robert Cargill. They have previously collaborated on The Black Phone, Doctor Strange, and Sinister.
The Night of the Hunter revolves around Harry Powell, a serial killer posing as a preacher, who marries a widow solely to gain access to her deceased husband’s hidden fortune. Powell’s stepchildren, John and Pearl, become the targets of his relentless pursuit as he seeks the money hidden by their father.
The novel was adapted once before, famously directed by Charles Laughton in 1955, and starred Robert Mitchum.
The Night of the Hunter remake will take some time, as Derrickson’s next project sees him reuniting with Universal and Blumhouse for the sequel The Black Phone. Production on that kicks off this fall.
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