In the latest reboot/remake/update news, the cult film Faces of Death is getting a do-over thanks to Legendary. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the new version will star Stranger Things’ Dacre Montgomery (above) and Euphoria‘s Barbie Ferreira.
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The gimmick of 1978’s Faces of Death was that it presented itself as if it featured entirely actual, real-life deaths. THR, in slightly ominous phrasing, says, “In reality, most of the death scenes were staged, but the film had the exact effect its producers desired: outrage, revulsion, banning (although not in 52 countries, as hyped by the film’s makers) and, of course, minting money.”
“Most” is doing weird things in that sentence. An explainer at Entertainment Weekly is a bit more clear: the film “mixed documentary footage from film libraries with material the director staged himself.”
The “reimagining,” as it’s being called, comes from Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber, who also created Cam. Massei is writing the new Faces of Death, while Goldhaber will direct. In a statement, they said, “Faces of Death was one of the first viral video tapes, and we are so lucky to be able to use it as a jumping off point for this exploration of cycles of violence and the way they perpetuate themselves online.”
No further casting or release date has been announced.
