#IrishAbroad: Independent horror Midnight Man gets an American remake

Independent Irish horror film Midnight Man is getting an American remake. The new version of film will star icons of the genre, A Nightmare on Elm Street‘s Robert Englund and Insidious star Lin Shaye. The remake has wrapped in Canada and is currently in post production in LA.

This arks the first time that an Irish film has received a Hollywood remake, a feat that will be replicated soon by John Butler’s comedy The Stag.

The Irish version of the film, which was a star of IFI Horrorthon in 2013, tells the story of an innocent girl who summons the mythical Midnight Man for a night of thrills. Unfortunately she opens the door to terrifying supernatural forces that threaten to destroy her…

Writer/director Rob Kennedy produced the original, with Lorcan Kavanagh and Edward Kennedy. It’s success on the genre circuit drew the attention of Dallas Buyers Club producer Cassian Elwes, who bought the North American rights and the remake rights to the movie.

Elwes is producing the film, with Rob Kennedy, Edward Kennedy, and Lorcan Kavanagh attached as executive producers. The remake director, Travis Z, recently directed a remake of Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever that was executive produced by Elwes.

Speaking about the remake Hollywood producer Cassian Elwes said

When I saw Rob Kennedy’s film, I immediately thought this could translate very well into an American picture and I’m very excited with the result.

Speaking on the news writer/director Rob Kennedy said

When we were hard at work on our first feature film, we never imagined that Hollywood producer Cassian Elwes, who produced the Oscar winning film Dallas Buyers Club, would see it, let alone want to remake it. Then when we found out that we’re the first Irish feature to get an American remake, it was the icing on the cake. We’re very excited to see their take on our horror film, and we hope it will shine a light on independent Irish cinema.

The remake is a co-production between Gussi Films and Zeal Media, the production/finance company launched in February by Cassian Elwes and Armory Films partners Chris Lemole and Tim Zajaros.

Best known for playing Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Englund’s genre credits also include Hatchet, The Mangler, Urban Legend, and Wishmaster. He is represented by JR Talent Group. Shaye played Elise Rainier in the Insidious trilogy and also appeared in the first two Critters movies.The pair previously starred together in 2001 Maniacs in 2005.

Kavanagh and Kennedy are currently developing on a new horror film, Pass The Night, with Edwina Forkin of Zanzibar Films. The screenplay, written by Rob Kennedy is a Nicholl Fellowship quaterfinalist and tells the story of a young girl with no memory after a car crash, as she tries to escape a forest over the course of one terrifying night while fending off her mother’s ghost in the wilderness.