‘Poltergeist’ Remake Lands Its Female Lead

Poltergeist remake plans have taken some pretty big strides forward in recent months, and today could be one of the biggest moves yet with Rosemarie DeWitt signing on to play matriarch of the Freeling family, Deadline reported.

DeWitt will be taking over for JoBeth Williams, who starred alongside Craig T. Nelson (as Mr. Freeling) in the 1982 original. No word on who’ll be sharing DeWitt’s bed just yet, but we do know from prior announcements that the film will be produced by Sam Raimi and directed by Mr. Monster House himself, Gil Kenan.

In May, The Inquisitr told you that the film would start shooting this fall. Kenan joined the project in March, so today’s announcement just shows that things are continuing to progress nicely.

Considering Monster House was an edgy kid suspenser, we can definitely see how the Poltergeist remake has potential to recapture that scary-but-family friendly tone of the Tobe Hooper original. (That film was rated PG, so we’re betting this one will be PG-13.)

Handling the script chores this time around is David Lindsay-Abaire, and the early word is, he’s gone a different direction from the rock-em, sock-em supernatural frights of the original. This version is said to be “more of a grounded, character-based thriller,” according to TheWrap.

Still, don’t freak out too much by that. Lindsay-Abaire promised that “there are very few people who are as obsessed with the original movie as I am, so I would try to write a script that I would want to see as a fan.”

As for Rosemarie DeWitt, she recently starred in Promised Land and Your Sister’s Sister. You can currently find her in Kill The Messenger alongside Jeremy Renner and up next is Touchy Feely.

It’s hard to believe the original Poltergeist is now 31 years old, but with this being Sam Raimi’s forte — you know, Evil Dead, Drag Me To Hell territory — we’re confident that it’s in good hands.

Are you looking forward to the Poltergeist remake?

[Image via Terry Straehley / Shutterstock.com]