'The Night of the Hunter' is to be remade by Universal Pictures.
Robert Mitchum starred in the original The Night of the Hunter
Variety reports that the studio is rebooting the 1955 film, which is based on a novel of the same name by Davis Grubb. Little is known about the new project, but it is expected to be a contemporary version of the original thriller, rather than a period piece.
The movie follows a religious fanatic, con man and murderer who marries a widow, knowing that her deceased husband had hid $10,000 from the authorities after a bank robbery.
The widow's young children are reluctant to tell him where their father hid the money as the man plots more sinister ways to find the cash.
The original film, which starred Robert Mitchum in the lead role as Reverend Harry Powell, was considered controversial at the time, as it featured dark themes such as Reverend Powell preying on young children.
Matt Orton is penning the script for the remake, having previously wrote 'Operation Finale', a 2018 historical drama starring Oscar Isaac and Sir Ben Kingsley. Matt's other credits include 'Battle of Britain' and he is currently working on 'Knights', a live action flick for Disney Plus.
Peter Gethers will produce the film alongside Amy Pascal, who will produce through her Universal-based Pascal Pictures. Universal's senior Vice President of production, Jay Polidoro, will oversee the movie on behalf of the studio.
Although productions across Hollywood have been shutdown indefinitely, studios are still working on adding projects to their development slates, especially when it comes to setting writers and directors.