Barbara Crampton discusses the Castle Freak reimagining

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

A few months ago, we learned that Cinestate, the company that has rebooted the Full Moon property PUPPET MASTER with this month's PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH, is teaming with Full Moon founder Charles Band on a remake of another one of his productions, director Stuart Gordon's 1995 film CASTLE FREAK.

Original CASTLE FREAK star Barbara Crampton is producing the new film alongside Band and Cinestate's Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk. Speaking with Daily Dead, Crampton offered some details on what they have in the works: 

The script is being written right now, and we're looking to shoot sometime later this year, beginning of next year. All the elements for that are coming together really well, and it's going to be an updated version of the old [film] and have a fresher start and some different characters, with more of the Freak and his backstory.

Also, our goal is to enhance a lot of the Lovecraft elements in the movie to just bring the Lovecraft universe a little bit more to life and a little bit more in the forefront. I'm really excited to read the final version, but we've all been working with the writer on the story elements and it's looking really good. So I'm very excited about that as well."

The actress/producer referred to the CASTLE FREAK project as a "reboot" in the Daily Dead interview, and when addressing fans on Facebook she wanted to make sure everyone knows that, 

This is not a remake. It’s a reimagining. (CASTLE FREAK star Jeffrey Combs) can never be replaced. Think how good THE FLY was and DAWN OF THE DEAD. We cannot touch the original which is so special and really great already. I’m with you on that! We don’t want to do the same thing. We hope to give you something fresh that will pay homage to the original and also wet people’s appetite for more Lovecraft. 

The original CASTLE FREAK will always be special to me, to us. We will protect that for you and hope to give you something more to think about, be frightened by and to make you really feel something from a new perspective. No one loves the original film more than me. The people who are involved Tate (director) Dallas, Amanda (producers at Cinestate) have the utmost regard for Stuart and everyone involved on the original film. Integrity is high here folks. I would not be on board otherwise… Be patient and when we can reveal more we will. We want to please you, the fans… give us a chance in your hearts to do that."

Special effects artist Tate Steinsiek is attached to direct the new CASTLE FREAK.

Inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story The Outsider, Gordon's film told the following story:

In an ancient castle in Italy, the old Duchess Orsini has died and left behind a mysterious, living legacy. The sole heir is her American nephew, John Reilly, who arrives in Italy with his wife Susan and their blind teenage daughter Rebecca to settle the estate. When the Reillys move in, Rebecca hears strange scratching noises coming from the long dark corridors and senses another presence living in the castle. The castle's cook Agnese tells John that the castle is haunted.

As a string of unexplainable events occur within the castle walls, tensions grow. With some encouragement from Agnese, John begins to believe the ghost stories and to unearth the horrific truth… that there is a freak of human nature inhabiting the deepest dungeons of the castle. When the unknown creature frees himself and roams the dust filled corridors, the beautiful Rebecca becomes the object of his obsession, and everyone who stands in his way is apt to meet a gruesome end. Will John uncover his family's darkest secret in time to save his own wife and daughter?

I'm open to seeing another version of CASTLE FREAK. I look forward to seeing what this take on the idea will be like and what sort of story it will tell.