'The Amityville Horror' Reboot Will Have To Overcome Decades of Mediocrity Actorsvaultpro

The recent news of The Amityville Horror franchise being rebooted via Amazon and MGM Studios has had a somewhat mixed reaction. The announcement of director David F. Sandberg (Shazam!, Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation), along with the writing team of Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing (The Conjuring: Last Rites), leading the project certainly seems like ideal picks to help reinvent the franchise. However, at the same time, original horror movies are thriving, and the idea of trying to relaunch a franchise that has floundered before does not necessarily have fans clamoring — ask the studio behind the failed attempt to relaunch the Witchboard franchise.

Yet, Amityville faces a unique challenge unlike any other franchise: its name has become so overexposed that it has lost value. Not to doom a production before it releases, but to become a success, the Amityville reboot needs to overcome decades of mediocrity and embarrassment to breathe new life into the supernatural horror franchise.

‘The Amityville Horror’ Was a Strong Start to a Middling Franchise

American International Pictures

1979’s The Amityville Horror is held in moderately high regard, backed by a phenomenal cast led by James Brolin and Margot Kidder, and capturing the intrigue many had about the ‘real’ supernatural events around the infamous DeFeo murders. It was popular enough to spawn a franchise. Still, each movie saw diminishing returns, with some notable lows, such as Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (1989), which featured an infamous “Evil Lamp” angle. There is a case to be made for the prequel, Amityville II: The Possession (1982), with its darker tone, and for Amityville 3-D (1983) with its campy vibe, but the franchise is not nearly as revered as others from that era.

When examining the franchise’s tarnished legacy, it is difficult not to mention the 2005 attempt to reboot the series. While the 2005 remake was a financial success, partly due to Ryan Reynolds in the lead role, the film was panned by critics and much of the horror fandom; many consider it one of the worst horror films of the 2000s. The main franchise may not have left an overall favorable impression among fans, but the Amityville name has seen much more damage by the multitude of cheap spin-offs.

The Copyright Situation Around ‘Amityville’ Has Turned It Into a Joke

Man screaming while on the toilet in, 'Amityville Death Toilet' (2023)

Logging onto Tubi and typing “Amityville” into the search function will bombard viewers with multiple, bizarre film entries. From entries that attempt to present themselves as legitimate horror experiences, such as The Amityville Terror, Amityville Exorcism, and Amityville Cult, to the downright absurd, sensational attention-grabbing titles like Amityville Death Toilet, Amityville Karen, and Amityville Christmas Vacation, to name a few. While low-budget silliness certainly has a place, and not all these movies are irredeemable, they are obviously trying to capitalize on name value. If there were a clear line between the ‘official’ movies and the knock-offs, it would be easier to separate the films and make a case for the franchise overall.

The original 1979 film, based on the book The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson, is subject to copyright. However, a location’s name cannot be copyrighted. “Amityville,” a real location in Suffolk County, on Long Island, New York, cannot have someone owning the rights to the name, and anyone can use it however they see fit. So, if the plan is to make a killer toilet movie for the cost of a few beers and catering, a filmmaker can attach the Amityville name to attract viewers.

Horror fans, aware of the franchise’s existing mediocre legacy and the plethora of spin-offs of varying quality, are unlikely to rush to a reboot. For Amazon and director David F. Sandberg, they have an uphill battle to bring back interest in a horror property that has long been the butt of jokes.