Exclusive: Don Coscarelli updates us on the Phantasm remake

Last Updated on July 21, 2021

Rumors about a PHANTASM remake have been swirling around for a long time. In fact, New Line Cinema was working hard to get a remake trilogy off the ground in 2005, former executive Jeff Katz has even said that J.J. Abrams was being pursued to direct, but that project ultimately fell apart.

With the final installment of the PHANTASM series, PHANTASM: RAVAGER, approaching release, now would seem the appropriate time to start seriously considering a remake again. The original story is getting wrapped up, now they can start all over again.

We recently caught up with PHANTASM creator Don Coscarelli, and during our talk he shared an update on the status of a remake and how he would feel if one were to happen: 

Nothing is ever off the table. You have a big casting hurdle there with Tall Man. Currently there's nothing planned, but if you had the right director, the right story, the right direction in terms of making something unique and still staying true to the spirit of the story. You know, all these years working on Phantasm, I'm like a Phantasm fan too, so I would go see it!"

So he seems to be quite open to it, but there a lot of elements that would have to align just right for it to happen.

Our full interview with Coscarelli, which includes discussion of PHANTASM: RAVAGER and the 4K restoration of the classic 1979 PHANTASM (a restoration done by J.J. Abrams' company Bad Robot) will be up on Monday.

PHANTASM: RAVAGER