Back in 1976, Spanish filmmaker Narciso Ibáñez Serrador brought the world the horror film Who Can Kill a Child? (or ¿Quién puede matar a un niño?), based on the novel El juego de los niños by Juan José Plans. The film has gained a strong cult following over the decades, and was even ranked at number 86 on Slant Magazine’s list of “The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time.” So, of course, it got a remake, with filmmaker Makinov writing, directing, producing, editing, and serving as cinematographer on the 2012 Mexican production Come Out and Play. And now, Deadline reports that it’s getting another remake, or reimagining, as Rodrigue Huart is set to write and direct a new take on the material that’s called Suffer Little Children for Paramount Pictures.
Walter Hamada is producing the film through his 18Hz Productions, under the company’s output deal at Paramount. Also on board as producer is rightsholder Pablo Cruz of Canana, the same company that was behind Come Out and Play. Nick Romano serves as an executive producer for 18Hz Productions.
Who Can Kill a Child? has the following synopsis: A couple of English tourists rent a boat to visit the fictitious island of Almanzora, just off the southern Spanish coast. When they arrive, they find the town deserted of adults, there’s only children who don’t speak but stare at them with eerie smiles. They soon discover that all the children of the island have been posessed by a mysterious force or madness which they can pass from one to another, and which makes them attack and murder their elders, who can’t defend themselves because nobody dares to kill a child… The original film starred Lewis Fiander and Prunella Ransome. The remake Come Out and Play starred Vinessa Shaw and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Who Can Kill a Child? has also been released under the titles Island of the Damned, Would You Kill A Child?, Death Is Child’s Play, and Island of Death.
Suffer Little Children will make the narrative feature directorial debut of Rodrigue Huart, who previously directed the documentaries Is It Punk Music? A Year with Cassels and Are You Still Here?, as well as episodes of the French TV series Le monde magique de Jérôme Commandeur. Deadline notes that he won the Midnight Short Jury Award at SXSW 2024 for his vampire short Transylvanie and made two short films that combined digital horror and found footage, Trigger and Real, which premiered at Fantasia 2024.
What do you think of the idea of Rodrigue Huart making a reimagining of Who Can Kill a Child? Share your thoughts on Suffer Little Children by leaving a comment below.
