Sam Rockwell talks Gil Kenan’s Poltergeist remake; calls it a kids’ movie

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Wait, what?

Sam Rockwell, who stars in Gil Kenan's POLTERGEIST remake, recently spoke with Collider and shed some new details on the mysteriously quiet reimagining of Tobe Hooper’s classic. While we already knew it was going to be PG-13, it sounds like they might have PG-13’d the shit out of it; we’re talking a 3D adventure movie for kids PG-13 here. At least that’s how Rockwell is making it sound.

When asked if he had seen any footage from the film, Rockwell said, “I’ve seen a little in looping. I hope it’s good. I really don’t know. I really wish I could tell you. I’m praying that it’s – I mean, it’s gonna be hard to live up to the first one. The first one’s pretty damn good. This one’s gonna be in 3D though, I can tell you that.”

I can live with it being 3D, but here’s where it gets interesting (if you want to call it that). One of the film’s major differences is that this time around it’s going to be told through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy. “The 10-year-old boy is really the protagonist this time. JoBeth Williams was the protagonist for the most part in the first one and now the kid, it’s really through his point-of-view. So it’s more of a kids’ movie so I don’t know if it’s gonna be like rated-R scary.”

So what kind of movie should we be expecting? “It’s not like Conjuring type of scary. You know, it’s a different kind of movie. It’s more of an adventure. It’s essentially a child abduction film when you come down to it. I mean, the original Poltergeist is too.”

It's obvious that Rockwell is barely scratching the surface here so I wouldn't get too bent out of shape just yet. If this does indeed turn out to be a "kids' movie", though, then you can join me in slamming my head in a car door if you want.

Rosemary Dewitt, Jared Harris, Saxon Sharbino, Nicholas Braun and Jane Adams also star in POLTERGEIST, which is produced by Sam Raimi and contemporizes the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.

The film comes out on July 24, 2015.