Cult Classic ’80s Horror Ghoulies Reboot Set to Deliver New Trilogy from Original Creators

Horror franchise Ghoulies is making a comeback with a whole new trilogy of films from the creators of the original horror-comedy movies. Ghoulies director and co-writer Luca Bercovici and producer and co-writer Jefery Levy have announced the return of the franchise after reclaiming the rights from Sony.

Fans of mischievous little monsters of the 1980s will remember Ghoulies as a series of movies that sits in the same comedy-horror genre as Critters and the movie they all tried to replicate, Gremlins. While the special effects of the Ghoulies movies were not as well employed as Steven Spielberg and Joe Dante’s collaboration, the franchise gained a dedicated following, and achieved cult classic status.

As per an AP press release, the pair, along with writer and producer Theo Lemasters, were able to reclaim the rights to the franchise under the Copyright Act of 1975, which required them to wait a long time to be able to reboot the series, but it seems that they are now in a position to push ahead with a whole new run of movies. This follows their petition in 2020 to get Sony to back a reboot of the franchise.

Ghoulies was originally released in 1985, the same year as the aforementioned Gremlins, and it starred Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres, Scott Thomson, Jack Nance, and Mariska Hargitay. The film sees the son of a cult leader returning to his family home, where he unwittingly conjures up a collection of nasty little critters who cause bloody mayhem over 90 minutes. The sequel, Ghoulies II, arrived in 1987, while 1991 brought Ghoulies Go to College and 1994 delivered Ghoulies IV.

The press release for the new branch of the Ghoulies franchise reads:

“Drawing upon their unmatched expertise and unwavering passion, Levy, Bercovici, and Theo Lemasters are set to unveil a series of projects that will keep audiences wallowing in filthy horror fun for many years to come. The team is expanding the Ghoulies universe beyond the silver screen with a book series that will plunge readers into the darkest depths of the Ghoulies universe. Fans can look forward to bringing home a piece of the Ghoulies universe with an exclusive line of figures, apparel, and collectibles for every devotee of the delightfully demonic Ghoulies.”

Can a Ghoulies Reboot Work?

Although it may be unthinkable that a low budget horror of the ‘80s could make a comeback in a time when budgets run wild, and VFX spectacles fill cinema release schedules, there are a couple of reasons why Ghoulies could manage to be a success in the coming years.

The horror genre is never too far away from its next popular hit, and low budget horror movies have been having a renaissance in the post-pandemic years with films like Terrifier and Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey making good returns. Ghoulies could certainly capitalize on this kind of old school vibe, making the most of practical effects and tapping onto that same vein of dark, sadistic humor.

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Of course, legacy sequels are currently the name of the game in Hollywood, with several franchises making belated returns, such as this year’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. While Ghoulies may not have had the same success of as these franchises in the ‘80s, that doesn’t mean they cannot connect with a new audience as well as their old fans in a whole new way.