Amazon MGM Taps David F. Sandberg to Helm New Chilling Take on the ‘Amityville Horror’

Its time to return to the Amityville Horror!! Just when you thought it was safe to move back to Long Island, Hollywood pulls you back in! Get ready for another trip to the most infamous haunted house in America, because David F. Sandberg, the twisted mind behind horror hits like Annabelle: Creation and Lights Out, is officially taking the director’s chair for a brand-new Amityville Horror movie. And guess what? It’s all happening under the Amazon MGM Studios banner.

You heard that right. The house on 112 Ocean Avenue is getting a fresh coat of blood-red paint, and with Sandberg at the helm, this is one renovation horror fans will be dying to see.

What’s the Latest on the New Amityville Horror?

Hollywood is buzzing, and it feels like everyone wants a piece of the Amityville pie right now. Just a couple of months ago, another Amityville project was announced with the Deadstream directors. But this new venture, helmed by Sandberg, feels like the main event. Why? Because it’s bringing in some serious heavy hitters.

Joining Sandberg are the powerhouse producers Peter Safran and John Rickard from The Safran Company. If that name rings a bell, it should. Safran is the genius behind The Conjuring universe and now co-runs DC Studios. This isn’t just another low-budget sequel; this is a major studio play to breathe new, terrifying life into a legendary franchise.

And who’s penning this nightmare? None other than Ian Goldberg & Richard Naing, the scribes fresh off the massive success of The Conjuring: Last Rites. They know how to craft a scare, and now they’re set to reimagine the story that has been giving people sleepless nights since the 70s. The studio is calling it a “reimagining,” which could mean anything from a modern-day retelling to a completely new angle on the Lutz family’s terrifying ordeal.

Can David F. Sandberg Save the Amityville Horror Franchise?

Let’s be real, the Amityville franchise has been a rollercoaster of quality. For every genuinely creepy entry, there are a dozen straight-to-DVD duds like Amityville: The Awakening (which barely made a dent at the box office with a shocking $742 in the US) or last year’s forgettable Amityville: Where the Echo Lives. The series has been begging for a visionary director to step in and restore its former glory.

Enter David F. Sandberg.

This is the guy who turned a viral short film, Lights Out, into a feature-length fright fest and then absolutely knocked it out of the park with Annabelle: Creation, a prequel that many argue is the best film in The Conjuring universe. He knows how to build tension, deliver bone-chilling scares, and, most importantly, respect the source material while bringing his unique vision to it. After his work on the Shazam! films and the upcoming video game adaptation Until Dawn, Sandberg returning to his horror roots for something as iconic as The Amityville Horror feels like a match made in hell—in the best way possible.

The Legacy of the Amityville Horror

The story is legendary for a reason. In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. brutally murdered his entire family in their home. A year later, George and Kathy Lutz moved in, only to flee in terror just 28 days later, claiming they were tormented by paranormal forces. Their story became Jay Anson’s bestselling book and the classic 1979 film starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder.

Whether you believe it’s a true story or a brilliant hoax, the tale of the Amityville haunting has embedded itself in pop culture. It’s the quintessential American ghost story, and its legacy is undeniable. Now, with the backing of Amazon and a creative team that lives and breathes horror, this new film has the potential to introduce the terror of 112 Ocean Avenue to a whole new generation.

So, lock your doors and check for flies on the windowsill. The horror is coming home, and with David F. Sandberg leading the charge, it’s going to be a scream.