UPDATE: Has 'Amityville: The Awakening' been shelved? Nope, delayed...again!
UPDATE: The latest entry in the long running series has officially been delayed...again. 'Amityville: The Awakening' is presently scheduled to open on January 6, 2017. For those keeping track that is a delay of nearly two years!
The Amityville horror franchise has pretty much become a shell of its original self becoming mere cash grabs based on the reputation of the film and the 'true story' it was based on. Since the original film, released in 1978, eight sequels and a remake have been made. Now, the latest entry in the long-running series, 'Amityville: The Awakening,' is about to hit theatres nationwide. Or is it?
According to DreadCentral, the Weinsteins have officially cancelled the release of the film. The film was scheduled to open on April 1, 2016. Yes, it was just over three weeks away. Even after being completed this film seemed to be destined for trouble. It was originally conceived as 'Amityville: The Lost Tapes' and was to capitalize on the found-footage craze. That concept was scrapped and the current version was to be released in January 2015. It was then pulled from the schedule and moved to April 2016. With a trailer released and a couple posters unveiled it seemed like this was ready to go. The film was initially given an R rating by the MPAA but was edited and resubmitted to garner a PG-13 rating.
The film stars Bella Thorne, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Cameron Monaghan, Thomas Mann, Taylor Spreitler, Mckenna Grace, and Kurtwood Smith. Daniel Farrands and Casey La Scala co-wrote the script. Franck Khalfoun directs.
An official announcment from the Weinsteins regarding the film's shelving and its ultimate future is forthcoming.