Summary
Rumors have swirled of a remake of the Universal Monsters classicThe Creature From the Black Lagoon, and it could turn out to be a hit unlike other modern Universal remakes that have fallen flat. Recently, the rumors have steadily evolved into something more concrete, andThe Creature From the Black Lagoonremake has been confirmedto be in development. However, the amphibious monster has proven to be a difficult task for filmmakers, as various reboots and remakes have been pitched by some of horror’s most famous names as far back as the 1980s.
The latest remake stands a far better chance of actually coming to fruition, asJames Wan is currently in talks to directhis version of the story. Someone with James Wan’s experience with both horror movies and theAquamanfranchise makes him an obvious choice to lead the project, and the expectations for its quality would certainly be high. Unfortunately, many of the movies based on the Universal Monsters from the last decade have been disappointments. However,The Creature From the Black Lagooncan succeed where others have failed thanks to one crucial element.
James Wan’s Upcoming Horror Classic Remake Has 1 Trick To Copy From This Guillermo del Toro 92% RT Movie
James Wan is in talks to remake Creature from the Black Lagoon, and there’s one trick it can copy from a Guillermo Del Toro movie to succeed.
The Creature From the Black Lagoon Is A Sympathetic Monster
He’s alone and simply defending his home
The Creature From the Black Lagoonhas been stuck in development hellsince the 80s, and has never actually been attempted for a litany of reasons ranging from bad timing to lack of interest.The Creature has attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywoodover the years though; John Landis, John Carpenter, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro have all been attached to a remake. While the Gill-man is a genuinely terrifying monster to play with from a horror perspective, he’s also a tragic and sympathetic figure, which is what can give him an edge over his monstrous contemporaries.
1954
80%
Revenge of the Creature
1955
13%
1956
43%
The Gill-man is more complex than many of the other Universal Monsters like Dracula, The Mummy, or The Invisible Man. TheGill-man is the last of his kind, a holdover from prehistoric timeswho only knows the isolated territory of his home, the Black Lagoon. When he is encountered by Dr. David Reed (Richard Carlson), Kay Lawrence (Julia Adams) and their crew, the Gill-man is curious and lonely more than anything, and only attacks once he feels threatened. A remake could lean into that complexity, and result in a satisfying modern retelling.
We Already Know A Sympathetic Gill-Man Has Mass Audience Appeal
The Shape of Water was a box office smash
The concept has actually been proven once already. Guillermo del Toro’s aforementioned pitch onThe Creature From the Black Lagoonconcept was rejected by Universal, as there was limited interest in his version of the story. In his version, the Gill-man was the protagonist, and the movie was a genuine romance as opposed to a horror movie. It was ultimately shelved, but del Toro continued his pursuit of the story,which resulted in 2017’s The Shape of the Water.
The Creature From the Black Lagoonwas one of the planned remakes for Universal’s “Dark Universe”, which would have seen the Universal Monsters interacting across a shared cinematic universe. With the abject failure of 2017’sThe Mummy, the reboot franchise was scrapped.
The Shape of Water went on to garner 13 Academy Award nominations, earning four wins along with dozens of other major accolades upon its release. The movie also earned almost $200 million at the box office on a budget of roughly $20 million, making it a financial success as well as a critical success. It’s clear thata movie framed around a more sympathetic Gill-man could work with a modern audience; however, with James Wan at the helm, the story could still honor its horror roots as opposed toThe Shape of Water’s fantasy vibe.
How The Creature From the Black Lagoon Can Work In A Modern Setting
The concept of man encroaching upon nature has never been more relevant
The Creature From the Black Lagoonremake could also provide successful modern commentary, giving it another potential avenue to legitimate quality. The original Gill-man had his home invaded by outsiders who, despite being scientists as opposed to hunters, did not hesitate to harm the Gill-man in self-defense or in an effort to capture him.It’s the perfect setup to provide commentary on modern pollution, deforestation, and general destruction of fragile ecosystems.
The Gill-man acting as a defender of his environment makes him an even more sympathetic figureto a modern human audience, which has proven in recent years that they’re perfectly content to root against humanity. Legendary’s Monsterverse and the ongoingPlanet of the Apesseries have leaned into stories centered around non-human characters, and that concept could work perfectly forThe Creature From the Black Lagoonremake as well.
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Cast
Creature from the Black Lagoon is a Universal creature feature that sees a group of scientists on a mission in the Amazon, who soon find that they’re not alone. Roaming in the swampland with them is a mysterious humanoid creature with amphibious traits who becomes infatuated with a female scientist, but it’s appearance strikes fear into the hearts of the intrepid explorers, leading to grave danger as a result.
