20 Upcoming Horror Movies That Could Save Franchises

16. Maniac Cop Remake

It would be incredibly easy to sniff at the very idea of anyone remaking William Lustig's cult classic 1988 slasher Maniac Cop, but it was tough not to be intrigued once the involvement of Nicolas Winding Refn was announced.

The Drive filmmaker was initially said to be executive producing a TV adaptation of Maniac Cop back in 2019, but the project ultimately didn't go ahead. However, earlier this year, Lustig himself revealed that Refn is now attached to direct a movie remake, which is apparently set to shoot before the end of the year and already has a distributor lined up.

Divisive though Refn might be, he's an indisputable auteur who will surely do anything but serve up a generic, forgettable remake. 

Refn's penchant for brutal violence and stylish scuzziness feels like a heavenly match for the original concept, which centered around an ex-cop returning from near-death to exact gory revenge on those who wronged him.

Whether Refn's film spawns a wider franchise of new Maniac Cop movies or not, it should at least remind everyone why the IP had any juice in the first place.