Castle Freak (1995) was one of those movies that managed to become a classic of the end of the 20th century. With the late Stuart Gordon directing and Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton in the main leads, the same team that was responsible for Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986), this adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft‘s story The Outsider centered a troubled couple and their blind daughter who go to Italy to visit a 12th Century castle they’ve inherited. Soon they are plagued by unexplained noises, mysteriously broken objects, and the daughter’s claims of an unknown nocturnal visitor to her bedroom.
On April 15, 2018, it was announced that Cinestate and Charles Band would be producing a remake/reboot of the movie, along with the film’s original star Barbara Crampton also producing and special effects artist Tate Steinsiek set to direct. In this new version, the castle is located in Albania, and a young woman has inherited it together with the bloodthirsty creatures inhabiting it. The title will be Castle Freak (2020).
After she’s permanently blinded in a tragic car accident, Rebecca receives some bizarre news: her long-lost-mother has recently passed away, leaving her their family’s ancestral castle. Traveling to the estate with a group of friends, Rebecca hopes it will be an opportunity for her to reconnect with a past she never knew—and a mother who seemingly left her behind. When mysterious happenings begin to occur and her friends begin to die, Rebecca must unravel her family’s mysterious history before she too falls prey to the Castle Freak.
The debutant director Tate Steinsiek is an awards winner special effects and makeup artist who has participated in numerous productions including Zombie Honeymoon (2004), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Piranhaconda (2012), Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018), Satanic Panic (2019), and the Sharknado saga. The new adaptation has been written by Kathy Charles, who is known for being the author of the screenplay The Kings of Maine, a Stephen King biopic.
Emily Sweet, Jake Horowitz, Kika Magalhães, Chris Galust, Omar Shariff Brunson Jr., Clair Catherine, Elisha Pratt, Genti Kame, and Klodian Hoxha star in the remake.
Announcing his involvement with the project on Instagram, director Tate Steinsiek wrote, “It’s such an honor to be taking not only a Stuart Gordon classic but also embracing the world of Lovecraft“. Producer Barbara Crampton later announced that the film would feature an “expanded Lovecraft Universe“, with some elements from the first film, while introducing many new characters.
The premiere for Castle Freak (2020) was initially scheduled to take place at the Chattanooga Film Festival on April 16, 2020, during its coveted midnight slot. RLJE Films will release the movie on digital on December 4, 2020. Here you can watch its official trailer.
