Wes Craven Readies '25/8' and Some 'Crazies' News

Rogue Pictures snaps up the first horror script from Craven in 14 years

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Wednesday, February 13th 2008 at 10:45 PM

The last time Wes Craven penned a horror film was 1994 and that film was the shitfest also referred to as Wes Craven's New Nightmare. He has written a new one and Rogue Pictures has picked it up. The film is called 25/8 and Craven wrote it and will direct it.

Craven says the film unveils a signature villain, a serial killer who turns up 15 years after his purported death, to kill the seven children born on that fateful night. "It's more a thriller than slasher film, and revolves around a young kid with a very dark past involving his family and his father," Craven told Daily Variety.

Production on 25/8 begins in April, but that isn't the end of this story as Rogue has also picked up the rights to remake the 1972 George Romero film The Crazies, a film about the inhabitants of a small Pennsylvania town who are beset by death and insanity after a plane crash and lets loose a secret biological weapon into the water supply.

The first time I wrote about The Crazies was back in 2004 when Paramount had the rights. Rogue bought the pic out of turnaround from Paramount, and it's earmarked to start production as soon as the SAG deal is made. Breck Eisner will direct a Ray Wright script, and Michael Aguilar and Dean Georgaris are producing. Romero will exec produce.

Recently Craven's signature franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street, was announced to be heading for a restart, but apparently Craven will not be involved as he told Variety, "My baby has fallen into the hands of others, and what can I say but wish them luck."