Hangtime and Severin Films to Remake Fulci's The Beyond

Hangtime International Pictures and Severin Films have announced a remake of Lucio Fulci’s 1981 horror film The Beyond. This is the first project in a strategic partnership to secure remake rights to genre films for theatrical, streaming, and physical media. The partnership aims to produce several remakes over the next two years. No writer or director is yet attached to this initial project.

Frank Murray, co-CEO of Hangtime International Pictures, and David Gregory, co-founder, president and CEO of Severin Films, are leading the initiative. The deal for the English-language remake rights was brokered by Severin’s Italian correspondent, Manlio Gomarasca, and RTI Mediaset International sales manager Claudia Marra. Frida Torresblanco is co-CEO at Hangtime.

Context and Legacy

The Beyond is a notorious entry in Lucio Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy. It is the second film in that series, preceded by City Of The Living Dead in 1980 and followed by The House By The Cemetery in 1981. The 87-minute film is set in a New Orleans hotel built on a gateway to Hell. A New Yorker who inherits the property finds refurbishment attempts lead to gruesome deaths.

The film was once banned in the UK. Its cinema release was cut by over a minute to tone down violent scenes. This censored version was still banned during the video nasties era on VHS. The original Italian title is '… E tu vivrai nel terrore! L’aldilà'. It was written by Dardano Sacchetti, Giorgio Mariuzzo, and Lucio Fulci.

Creative Vision and Plans

The remake aims to contemporize the film as a classic of experiential horror. Frank Murray stated the project offers a rare opportunity for an established director to reimagine the material. He also highlighted the franchise potential. "We also love the built-in sequel opportunity afforded us by Fulci’s Gates of Hell universe," Murray said.

Severin Films is known as a distributor of classic films. The original film starred Catriona MacColl. Its legacy of graphic violence and cult status shapes the new approach. No other titles on the partnership's remake slate have been revealed.

What’s Next

The remake of The Beyond is the first project from the Hangtime and Severin remake slate. While creative details are pending, the companies are positioned to revive several genre titles. The partnership marks a significant new horror remake initiative from two key genre players. It revives a cult film with sequel potential forty-five years after its original release.