Amityville Returns: Barbarian Team Plans Fresh Spin on Haunting
The infamous haunted house at 112 Ocean Avenue is about to get another cinematic resurrection. That’s right: the Amityville legend is clawing its way back onto screens, but this time, there’s a twist even die-hard fans might not see coming.
A New Chapter Outside the Amityville Franchise
Forget everything you know about the countless sequels, prequels, and “how is this even related?” spin-offs that followed The Amityville Horror (1979). This new project, announced by Deadline (source), is being conjured up by the folks behind Barbarian (2022) (BoulderLight Pictures) and Heart Eyes (Divide/Conquer). And steering the ship are the married writer-director duo Joseph and Vanessa Winter, best known for their wild ride of a found footage flick, Deadstream (2022).
What makes this outing different? For starters, it’s not saddling up with Jay Anson’s 1977 bestseller or any of the established Amityville IP. Instead, Joseph and Vanessa Winter are apparently crafting a new story inspired by the real-life events and ever-mutating folk tales that swirl around 112 Ocean Avenue. So, if you were hoping for another retread of the DeFeo family murders or the Lutz family’s 28-day supernatural meltdown – sorry, not this time. The Winters are sidestepping those infamous chapters entirely.
Why Does This Matter for Amityville’s Horror Legacy?
Let’s face it: Amityville is one of horror’s most overstuffed houses – we’re talking over 30 films, plus documentaries, books, podcasts, and enough memes to fill a demon-infested swimming pool. The original The Amityville Horror (1979), directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder, terrified audiences and raked in a monstrous $86 million on a shoestring budget. It spawned everything from haunted clocks to haunted dolls, not to mention that 2005 remake with Ryan Reynolds showing off more abs than scares.
But with all those films, things got… let’s say “creatively loose.” Direct-to-video oddities like Amityville: The Evil Escapes (1989) and Amityville in Space (2022) pushed the boundaries of what even counts as an Amityville movie. If you’ve seen a haunted lamp, fridge, or mirror movie – blame Amityville.
This new film’s decision to break away from the franchise baggage could be the exorcism the series needs. By ignoring the well-trodden tales of Ronald DeFeo Jr.’s grisly crimes and the Lutz family’s ghostly woes, there’s room to explore the sinister reputation of the house itself – and maybe unearth some new nightmares.
What Do We Know So Far?
Not much plot-wise – the filmmakers are keeping things locked up tighter than a priest in the basement. But here’s what we do know:
- Joseph and Vanessa Winter are writing and directing (their last team-up, Deadstream, was a festival favourite and a Shudder hit).
- Producers from BoulderLight Pictures and Divide/Conquer are on board. These are the maniacs behind modern genre gems like Barbarian, M3GAN (2023), and Freaky (2020).
- Production is set to begin late 2025, so expect more news (and probably wild fan theories) as things develop.
Can Another Amityville Movie Stand Out?
That’s the big question. This house has been “occupied” by every kind of ghostly trope imaginable. The challenge now is to make audiences care about 112 Ocean Avenue again, especially without relying on the Lutz or DeFeo stories.
If anyone can pull it off, it might be this team. Joseph and Vanessa Winter are known for their energetic style and sly humour – just check their V/H/S/99 segment “To Hell and Back.” With modern horror powerhouses producing, there’s hope for a return to form – or at least something completely bonkers.
We’ll be keeping an eye on this one (from a safe distance, with all the lights on). If you want to dive deeper into the announcement and all things haunted real estate, check out Deadline’s full coverage here.
One thing’s certain: in horror, dead franchises never stay buried for long…
Hilly Horror
Hilly love of horror knows no bounds. As a massive fan of slasher and ghost films, she has watched all of the Wrong Turn and Paranormal Activity films. Now that’s bravery at a scale we can’t beat.
