In a move that’s sure to send chills through fans of haunted-house horror, filmmaker David F. Sandberg has signed on to direct a new interpretation of the legendary The Amityville Horror for Amazon MGM Studios. The studio has officially announced that the project is being developed as a “reimagining” of the 1979 classic, which itself was based on the supposed real-life terror experienced by the Lutz family in the infamous house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Long Island.
Sandberg, who built his reputation with the likes of Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, will be collaborating with screenwriters Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing, the duo behind recent horror successes, to bring this new vision to life. Alongside them, producers Peter Safran and John Rickard from The Safran Company are on board, with Natalia Safran and Lotta Losten listed as executive producers.
What makes this announcement particularly intriguing isn’t just the pedigree of the creative team, but the word reimagining. That suggests this won’t be a frame-by-frame remake of the Lutz saga, but rather a fresh take with room for new twists or narrative angles, even as it leans on the haunted house mythos that has made the Amityville legend endure for decades.
Plots remain tightly sealed, neither casting nor release date have been revealed. But horror fans know the setting too well: the murder-scene house on Long Island, the family’s 28-day ordeal, the creeping dread that the ordinary can turn monstrous. The original 1979 film soared into popular culture by tapping into that dread, and this new version has high expectations riding on it.
“Haunted house” cinema has evolved, and Sandberg’s track record suggests he knows how to blend slick visuals with grounded scares. By linking this property back into serious mainstream production via Amazon MGM, the studio clearly intends to revive Amityville’s myth with both scale and credibility.
Stay tuned for updates, casting announcements, teaser drops, filming locations, all of which could incite fresh waves of discussion. For now, the doors at 112 Ocean Avenue are being unlocked once more.
