Based on a 1954 novel written by William March (which also received a stage play adaptation), the 1956 film THE BAD SEED is a "creepy kid" classic that remains popular to this day, so of course there have been attempts to recapture its magic over the years. A 1985 ABC TV movie version came and went, and in 2004 Eli Roth signed on to direct a remake of the film. Roth knew how he wanted to approach the material, saying
The original was a great psychological thriller, and we are going to bastardize and exploit it, ramping up the body counts and killings. This is going to be scary, bloody fun, and we’re going to create the next horror icon, a la Freddy, Jason and Chucky. She’s this cunning, adorable kid who loves to kill, but also loves ‘N Sync."
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Roth's version never made it into production, so that "create the next icon" idea went out the window.
Thirteen years later, another remake of THE BAD SEED is set to happen with an unexpected creative force behind it: actor Rob Lowe is set to make his feature directorial debut on another TV movie version of THE BAD SEED, this one for Lifetime.
Lowe will also star in the film, playing
a father who seems to have everything under control. But when a terrible tragedy takes place at his daughter Emma’s school, he is forced to question everything he thought he knew about his beloved girl. He slowly begins to question if Emma’s exemplary behavior is just a façade and whether she played a role in the horrific incident. When more strange things begin to happen, he’s faced with keeping a terrible secret to protect Emma, but ultimately must stop her from striking again.
WISH UPON's Barbara Marshall has written the adaptation. This is a project Marshall and Lifetime have been working on for a couple years, and the writer's initial drafts were about (as the novel, play, and previous films were) a mother having to deal with the fact that her daughter is a murderer.
Lowe will be executive producing THE BAD SEED with Mark Wolper and Elizabeth Stephen. Filming is expected to begin in early 2018.
Casting is underway, and it will be interesting to see who's tasked with the most important role, that of the killer kid herself.
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