In 2003, Uwe Boll’s adaptation of the Sega video game House of the Dead hit theaters. Despite the film being a huge bomb with critics and fans alike, Boll says he is working on an “unofficial sequel,” 23 Years Later — The Castle of the Dead. And yes, its unoffical because he does not have the rights from Sega.
Not to mention that the film already has an official follow-up with Michael Hurst’s 2005 straight-to-video House of the Dead 2.
Principal photography for The Castle of the Dead is slated to start on September 5th in Germany. House of the Dead stars Jonathan Cherry and Ona Grauer will be returning, but for legal reasons, may not directly reprise their roles.
Boll will direct from a script he co-wrote with Lutz Geiger. Michael Roesch and Boris Wolffgardt are co-producing.
House of the Dead follows a group of students on a boat trip to an island for a rave. But things sour when they realize the island is infested with zombies. They seek shelter in an abandoned home as they fight off the undead.
At this time, plot details for The Castle of the Dead are still under wraps. The only real detail we have is the change of venue that the name implies. “So in a way,” Roesch says, “we’re upgrading from a house full of zombies to a castle full of zombies.”
This announcement comes right on the heels of an official House of the Dead reboot directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Leading many to think this is a deliberate troll, given that Boll is kind of known for stunts like this.
“When I heard that Paul Anderson is rebooting House of the Dead, I immediately knew that it will be a soulless CGI orgy”, said Boll in a statement. “And I want to do a completely different zombie movie: Bloody, gory and handmade.”
More Alone In the Dark?
It seems that Boll is also in the market to officially reboot his 2005 film Alone in the Dark. His company, Event Films, has actually optioned the rights to the THQ Nordic video game. There is no word on whether he has secured the rights. Let alone if stars Christian Slater or Tara Reid will return.
We’ll keep you posted on updates about 23 Years Later — The Castle of the Dead as the project develops.
