Between Dark Glasses hitting Shudder, and the announcement that Isabelle Huppert will lead his next feature, it’s been a big week for fans of Italian maestro Dario Argento – and the fun’s not over yet. With the announcement that Italian studio Titanus are rebooting and revitalising their output comes the exciting news that a sequel to Argento’s 1985 supernatural horror Phenomena is currently in development.
Founded in 1904 by Gustavo Lombardo, Titanus were a powerhouse of the Italian film industry until the mid-1960s when the studio began to focus more on small scale and television productions. The studio boasts a 400-title library including works by directors such as Federico Fellini and Damiano Damiani.
According to Variety, Titanus’ general manager Stefano Bethlen revealed the Phenomena project at this year’s MIA Market, explaining that the film will be “an American film with a U.S. director and U.S. and international talents,” and will take the form of “…a present-day sequel rather than a remake.”
Phenomena revolves around an American girl (Jennifer Connelly) at a remote Swiss boarding school. Upon discovering that she has psychic powers (that allow her to communicate with insects), she uses them to track down a serial killer who is butchering young women in and around the school. Regarded by many as a wild and bizarre cult classic, and an essential piece of Argento’s filmography, the film was also a large influence on the 1995 Japanese horror game Clock Tower. Earlier this year, Phenomena received a 4K limited edition release from Arrow and Synapse Films.
The as-of-now untitled Phenomena sequel will be co-developed and mostly lead by Los Angeles-based company The Exchange (who recently boarded international sales on V/H/S/99).
Further details of the sequel, including casting, plot details and release date, have yet to be revealed.
