Nicolas Winding Refn's Maniac Cop has been officially greenlit.
Originally reported by Variety, the reboot of the 1988 horror cult classic is being financed by Paul Brett from Prescience MA's Merlin Funds and Wild Bunch will handle the film's world sales. Wild Bunch also handled international sales for Only God Forgives and Neon Demon. It is set to begin filming in Los Angeles this Summer, with casting currently ongoing. Refn and Lene Borglum are producing, with a script from Refn and Ed Brubaker (Captain America: Winter Soldier), and it will be directed by John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning).
The script is supposed to be a modern take on William Lustig's original movie, involving an L.A. police officer seeking out the truth regarding a series of brutal murders committed by another officer. It will be less of a straight horror film, and more of a contemporary action thriller. Lustig and Refn will serve as creative directors, but they intend to showcase Hyams' directing style. Borglum stated that:
“The reason why we wanted to work with John Hyams is because we love his visual style and his ability to work extremely well on a limited budget.”
The script is supposed to be a modern take on William Lustig's original movie, involving an L.A. police officer seeking out the truth regarding a series of brutal murders committed by another officer. It will be less of a straight horror film, and more of a contemporary action thriller. Lustig and Refn will serve as creative directors, but they intend to showcase Hyams' directing style. Borglum stated that:
“The reason why we wanted to work with John Hyams is because we love his visual style and his ability to work extremely well on a limited budget.”