Be afraid. Be very afraid - becauseThe Flyis buzzing back into theaters. A new movie set in the universe ofDavid Cronenberg’s 1986 body horror classic is in the works fromNikyatu Jusu(Nanny).Deadline reportsthat Jusu is set to write and direct the film.
Plot details for the new film remain under wraps, but the film is not a remake or reboot; it is set within the same universe as the 1986 film, meaning it may be a belated sequel. Body horror is certainly en vogue these days, with the gruesome Grand Guignol ofDemi MooreandMargaret Qualley’sThe Substanceearning rave reviews and over $44 million USD at the global box office. Even Cronenberg himself returned to the genre for the first time in years with last year’s well-reviewedCrimes of the Future. It’s only the latest horror project in the works from Jusu, who made her feature debut with the 2022 psychological horror filmNanny. She is also slated to direct asequel toNight of the Living Dead, and is working on a vampire film,Suicide by Sunlight, for Universal.
What Is ‘The Fly’ About?
A remake of the 1958Vincent Pricechiller of the same name, which was itself an adaptation ofGeorge Langelaan’s short story,The Flycenters around scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), who’s invented a way to teleport living matter. He romances science journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) and seems to be on the verge of fame and fortune until he tests his technology on himself…and doesn’t notice that he’s accidentally teleported a housefly along with him. Over the next several days, he undergoes a slow, hideous transformation into an amalgam of man and insect - and becomes a danger to everyone around him. The film was a critical and financial success, hailed for its performances, direction, andstomach-churning special effects, and cemented Cronenberg as one of the most daring horror filmmakers of the 20th century. It was followed by a sequel in 1989,The Fly II, that followed Martin Brundle (Eric Stoltz), the son of Brundle and Quaife, as he underwent his own metamorphosis; it was not well-received.
Nikyatu Jusu’sThe Flymovie will be a production of 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment; it will be produced by Chernin Entertainment’sPeter CherninandJenno Topping. It is the latest revival of 20th Century’s horror properties, with recent entries in thePredatorandAlienfranchises, in the form ofPreyandAlien: Romulus, proving to be highly successful.
Nikyatu Jusu’sThe Flymovie is in development;no release date has yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
In a daring exploration of science’s potential to alter human life, a brilliant but eccentric scientist develops a technology for teleportation. When he decides to test the device on himself, a tragic error involving a common housefly leads to horrifying consequences. The film chillingly portrays his transformation and the impact it has on his relationship and psyche.
