‘Glee’ Creator Ryan Murphy To Remake ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’

Glee and American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy is set to remake the cult horror flick The Town That Dreaded Sundown for MGM.

The writer revealed his intentions to modernize director Charles B. Pierce and writer Earl E. Smith’s 1976 horror flick during a press screening for American Horror Story. According to Cinema Blend, Ryan Murphy intends to infuse the remake with a “weird meta” vibe.

Murphy also stated The Town That Dreaded Sundown was one of his favorite movies growing up. Paranormal Activity and Insidious producer Jason Blum will help bring the film to the screen.

The Hollywood Reporter explains that Carrie remake scribe Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will handle scripting duties on the forthcoming horror flick. The writer said he intended to retain the original movie’s gritty atmosphere while incorporating some procedural drama into the mix.

Ryan Murphy explained:

“The movie I was the most freaked out by as a child was this movie that no one ever saw called ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown.’ I had just started to babysit my brother, and the ads for that movie would come on and I’d get freaked out. I went to [Blum] with this and MGM was gracious enough to let us do it with them. So we’re doing a modern-day version remake, weird meta thing with [the project].”

According to Internet Movie Database, the 70s cult favorite tells the story of a Texas Ranger who “hunts for a hooded serial killer terrorizing the residents of a small town, set in 1946 Arkansas.” The film is loosely based on a true story.

Ryan Murphy’s latest directorial effort The Normal Heart starring Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons and Mark Ruffalo is tentatively set to arrive next year.

The trailer for the 1976 original lies below.

Are you a fan of The Town That Dreaded Sundown? Do you think Ryan Murphy is the right guy to tackle the remake?