Deadline has dropped our first official look at a contemporary reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s iconic short story, Herbert West: Reanimator. Currently filming in Alton, Illinois. The project promises to prove once and for all that conquering death is the ultimate sin against life. And it is an excellent way to get yourself violently dismembered.
The Dynamic Duo of Mad Science
Taking over the iconic role played by Jeffrey Combs in Stuart Gordon’s 1985 cult classic is Joseph Morgan (The Originals). Morgan stars as the brilliant, secretive, and deeply unhinged surgeon Herbert West, a man obsessed with perfecting a corpse-reviving serum.
Every mad scientist needs a co-conspirator who ignores basic lab safety protocols, and that’s where Katie Cassidy (Arrow) comes in. Cassidy plays Kate Locke, a pathologist with a troubled past who gets drawn into West’s creepy orbit. Instead of filing a human resources complaint when he shows her reanimated severed tissue in his basement, she does the logical thing: moves into his mansion to help him experiment.
Family Trauma: The Ultimate Catalyst
According to the official synopsis, Herbert’s obsession isn’t just a hobby. It’s a family tradition: As a child, Herbert watched his father successfully reanimate his dead mother. Naturally, the zombie-mom immediately mortally wounds the father before being shot. However, the trauma leaves a mark on young Herbert.
Thirty years later, Herbert and his new pathologist bestie, Kate, successfully reanimate a cadaver—but only briefly. Herbert quickly realizes that working with stale, dead tissue is a total drag. The solution? They need something a little fresher. (Cue the dramatic organ music.
The Creative Mind-Meld
The script was penned by horror veterans Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe (The Haunting in Connecticut). The script is by Jade Sandberg Wallace. Steering the director’s chair is Michael Grossman (Pretty Little Liars).
Behind the scenes, the practical gore is in very safe hands. Legendary makeup effects artist Jeff Lewis (Star Trek: Voyager) and Roger Lewis are heading up the production via their newly minted banner, Woodlake Entertainment.
Lovecraft’s original 1922 tale was famous for introducing the world to Miskatonic University. This new modern spin on Herbert West: Reanimator might be swapping the Ivy League for Illinois, but the moral of the story remains the same: leave the dead alone.
