David F. Sandberg to Direct Amazon MGM’s Reimagining of The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror is one of the most notorious and frequently revisited stories in genre cinema, and it is about to get another big-screen adaptation. David F. Sandberg, best known for Annabelle: Creation and Lights Out, has been tapped to direct a new Amityville Horror for Amazon MGM Studios. According to a report from Deadline, the project is being developed as a “reimagining of the original horror classic,” a reference to Stuart Rosenberg’s influential 1979 film rather than the long string of unofficial sequels and bizarre spin-offs that have emerged over the decades.
A Story That Refuses to Die
The Amityville Horror first captured the public imagination in the mid-1970s, following the shocking case of Ronald DeFeo Jr., who murdered six members of his family in their home in Amityville, New York. Shortly afterward, George and Kathy Lutz claimed that supernatural forces plagued them during their brief stay in the house, with their experiences documented in Jay Anson’s 1977 book The Amityville Horror.
That book became the foundation for Stuart Rosenberg’s 1979 film, which starred James Brolin and Margot Kidder and grossed over $80 million on a modest budget, cementing its place as one of the most profitable independent horror films of all time. The film spawned sequels, a 2005 remake starring Ryan Reynolds, and countless unofficial productions ranging from Amityville: The Awakening to the outlandish Amityville in Space and Amityville Death Toilet. By the time of the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards in 2023, the proliferation of cheap spin-offs had become such a phenomenon that the magazine jokingly introduced a dedicated category just for Amityville titles.
Despite the oversaturation, Rosenberg’s original remains an enduring cornerstone of haunted house horror, influencing everything from Poltergeist to The Conjuring.
Sandberg’s Next Step
David F. Sandberg is no stranger to the world of supernatural terror. He first broke through with the viral short film Lights Out, which was expanded into a feature in 2016 and quickly established him as one of the genre’s most promising voices. He went on to direct Annabelle: Creation (2017), which revitalised The Conjuring spin-off series and became a fan favourite for its atmosphere and inventive scares.
Sandberg has since explored superhero territory with DC’s Shazam! (2019) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), but The Amityville Horror marks a return to the genre that first put him on the map. With his knack for combining emotional storytelling with carefully crafted jump scares, Sandberg appears to be a strong fit for revisiting the Amityville legend.
The Creative Team
The screenplay is being written by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing, the duo behind the acclaimed The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016). Their ability to balance mystery, suspense, and character-driven horror should prove invaluable in reimagining the Amityville mythos for a new generation.
The project will be produced by Peter Safran and John Rickard of The Safran Company, alongside Sandberg himself. Natalia Safran is also attached as producer, with Lotta Losten serving as executive producer. Losten, who is Sandberg’s longtime collaborator and partner, co-starred in his original Lights Out short film and has worked with him on several projects since.
Competition in Amityville
Interestingly, Sandberg’s version is not the only Amityville project currently in the works. Joseph and Vanessa Winter, the creative team behind the cult hit Deadstream (2022), are also developing their own Amityville movie. The continued interest in the infamous house demonstrates just how deeply rooted the story has become in horror culture, even if the market has been flooded with unofficial and often low-budget iterations.
The difference this time is that Amazon MGM Studios is backing Sandberg’s film, ensuring that it will have the budget, distribution, and creative pedigree to stand apart from the countless knock-offs.
What to Expect
While specific plot details remain under wraps, the project is described as a “reimagining,” suggesting that it will draw heavily from Rosenberg’s 1979 film while finding new ways to approach the material. Whether the focus will lean more toward the supernatural events surrounding the Lutz family or the grisly real-life crimes of Ronald DeFeo Jr. remains to be seen.
What is clear is that with Sandberg at the helm, supported by Goldberg and Naing’s writing, the film has the potential to reinvigorate the Amityville Horror as a prestige property rather than a running joke. If successful, it could do for Amityville what James Wan’s The Conjuring did for haunted house stories in the 2010s.
The Amityville Horror has terrified audiences for nearly half a century, and with David F. Sandberg steering this latest reimagining, the infamous house at 112 Ocean Avenue may finally get the definitive modern retelling it deserves.
