Bloody Disgusting and several other horror news outlets are reporting that Emaji Entertainment has acquired the rights to the 1981 classic werewolf horror movie “The Howling”, and plans to remake it as the first in a series of reboots. Hooray, but also… oh no.
We all remember The Howling Reborn, right? That was the so-called “remake” that had nothing to do with the original, tanked at the box office, and squandered the special makeup effects talents of Adrien Morot (yes, the guy who made this werewolf as a “relaxing” weekend project). After that mess, I thought of The Howling franchise as an intellectual property that had finally been condemned and razed, leaving nothing but the memory of its once-glorious (if gaudy) heyday. Picture some sad werewolf ghosts who look like Robert Picardo haunting a garbage dump.
But now Emaji’s got the rights, and with them they plan to kickstart a whole series of “films based upon well known film properties.” In a press release from mid-April, they lay out the plan:
Irvine, CA, April 14, 2015 — Emaji, Inc. (OTC PINK: EMJI) announced today that its entertainment division, Emaji Entertainment, has acquired the rights to reboot “The Howling”, the 1981 horror classic that to date has seen eight films released that have been based in part of the three novels written by Gary Brander. This is the first film production for the recently formed Emaji Entertainment, which is a division of Emaji, Inc. Emaji Entertainment plans to produce “The Howling” as the first in a series of films based upon well known film properties.
Additional details on the production and distribution of “The Howling” will be released as the film moves through the pre-production process.
There’s no telling how this is going to work out, although common sense suggests that Emaji will try to inaugurate their film division with a picture that satisfies horror fans and makes a boatload of money, both of which would revitalize the franchise. When it comes to werewolf films, I’ve long since learned to expect the worst and hope for the best. Good luck, Emaji – you bought a haunted garbage dump, now let’s see what you cam build!