From what I’ve gathered these past few years, Spanish-language horror films surpass most made in the United States. While Hollywood is fixated with Paranormal Activity or Saw-esque plots, Spain and Mexico are generating greats like REC and The Orphanage. With these notable entries, Hollywood comes infringing on the success. (The Quarantine films are based off REC, for example.) And as ScreenDaily (via ThePlaylist) reports, another Mexican horror film is following this path; Stake Land helmer Jim Mickle is planning to adapt the cannibal themed film, We Are What We Are, for a more English-language-oriented audience.
Mickle is currently working on the script with his Stake Land co-writer Nick Damici. “It’s a cool challenge to do justice to Jorge’s story, but also explore things from an unexpected angle,” commented Mickle. After winning over the original film’s director, Jorge Michel Grau, he stated the following about the project:
“I feel fortunate to have someone with the vision and talent Jim has to re-interpret my work. It is extraordinary to have a team of filmmakers so respectful of the spirit of a film and take such good care of its essence. I’m so proud to know ‘We Are What We Are‘ will be reworked under that kind of intelligent frame of mind. Very happy that Jim will construct a new universe over the bases of mine.”
Although I haven’t seen Stake Land, Mickle does seem drawn to the horror genre — his only other directing credit includes the horror sci-fi thriller Mulberry Street, which came out in 2006. Martha Marcy May Marlene producer Andrew Corkin is also joining the scare fest, which is a good sign. Filming for We Are What We Are will start up in June.
Have you seen the original We Are What We Are? Are you interested in seeing an English-language remake?