Rumors circulated as early as March 2023 that Amazon was looking to stage a “Poltergeist” remake. Now we have confirmation: Tobe Hooper’s horror classic will become a series on Prime Video!
With “Poltergeist” Tobe Hooper has probably delivered his most famous film next to “Blood Court in Texas” (aka “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”). The paranormal horror film from 1982 succeeded in sending a shiver down the audience’s spine, while at the same time formulating a media critique that was ahead of its time. The “Insidious” series, among others, was heavily influenced by “Poltergeist. “
In March of this year, the usually very well-informed film journalist Jeff Sneider revealed on “The Hot Mic” video podcast that Amazon was probably busy reviving the “Poltergeist” franchise. Now, nearly eight months later, we have confirmation: We can indeed expect a “Poltergeist” series! With this, the horror classic follows the example of cult films like “RoboCop”, “Naturally Blonde” or “Stargate”, which are also to become prime series.
Poltergeist Is still as amazing as It’s ever been, even got some spine tingles at parts. The Freeling family has also got to be the best family In horror. 10/10*. pic.twitter.com/rs40JYCsic
– Jamie (@JCX1994) October 30, 2023
AMAZON HAS SPENT 8.5 BILLION US DOLLARS
There’s a very simple reason why Amazon is able to reanimate these big brands on its in-house streaming service: they are titles from the portfolio of film production and distribution company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM for short). Amazon put a whopping $8.5 billion on the table last year to acquire MGM. That means the multibillion-dollar corporation now owns the rights to thousands of the studio’s films and series (including “Rocky” and “James Bond”).
When “Poltergeist” will launch on Amazon Prime Video is, of course, still completely unclear at this point. Due to the ongoing Hollywood strike of the actors* it could be a while before the production will really start. At the moment – if at all – they will be busy writing the script for the series. Content details are also not yet known.
