According to one of its primary creative forces, the Little Shop of Horrors reboot movie is in a state of statis
Filmmaker Joe Dante - best known for helming Gremlins and Gremlins 2 - was announced as the director of a Little Shop of Horrors reboot project in March 2024, as it was reported that the beloved 1980s musical would be coming back from the dead for another round of campy fright-filled fun.
The project was tentatively titled Little Shop of Halloween Horrors and would have served as a full-scale modern reimagining of Roger Corman's 1960 musical that the original film was based on.
Little Shop of Horrors Reboot Hits the Pause Button
Speaking in an exclusive conversation with The Direct during WonderCon, Little Shop of Horrors reboot director Joe Dante, who was in attendance at the event promoting Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (of which Dante serves as a consulting producer), divulged that the Little Shop of Horrors reboot movie is now in statis.
"The word is 'stasis,' not status," Dante remarked, adding that "it's not the greatest time right now to [get] projects off the ground:"
The Direct: "I was excited to hear about your work on the reboot for the forthcoming 'Little Shop' remake... I wanted to ask if there are any sort of status updates, because I'd love to see your take."
Joe Dante: "The word is 'stasis,' not status. At the moment, like so many things in town, nothing's happening, and we always hope that will change, but it's not the greatest time right now to [get] projects off the ground."
When the Little Shop of Halloween Horrors was first announced, no stars, distributor, or release date were named. Still, it was reported that Dante was teaming up with Corman on the reboot, which was being imagined as the foundation for a new Little Shop franchise.
According to The Direct's sources, the project is not completely dead, but it has hit a bit of a speed bump given the current market instability in Hollywood and around the globe. They note that at least one actor has been attached to the title, and they are seeing signs of positive momentum, but, for now, it is stalled.
The classic horror comedy musical Little Shop of Horrors first came to the big screen in 1986, telling the tale of a shy plant store clerk who accidentally witnesses the birth of a hellish monstrosity of a living plant who survives on a diet of human flesh.
In the years since its first big-screen adaptation, Little Shop of Horrors has become a cult classic, and whispers are circulating that a potential reboot is in the works.
Will the Little Shop of Horrors Reboot Ever Happen?
While the Little Shop of Horrors has been put on ice for now, that does not mean it will be shelved forever.
As director Joe Dante said, "It's not the greatest time right now to [get] projects off the ground." It is a hard time across industries as the financial vice grip of the unstable U.S. and global economy tightens on almost everything.
Simply put, money is getting harder for Hollywood studios to spend, and projects like this Little Shop of Horrors project have seemingly been among the casualties.
There is a Little Shop fan base out there, but it is ultimately a cult title at the end of the day and not a guaranteed success. That is what studios are almost exclusively bankrolling right now.
If there is any doubt about something's mainstream appeal, it is likely not even making it through the door in most of Hollywood's biggest production houses amid the current realities the movie business finds itself in.
However, something Little Shop of Horrors has going for it that a lot of other pitches in Hollywood don't is a name that at least resonates with a portion of an audience.
Fans have seen little-known franchises from back in the day come back and make it big over the past few years (just look at the Cobra Kai expanded universe, Top Gun, and Ghostbusters). It can be done; it is just a matter of getting a studio to bite and see the project through to completion.
Read more of The Direct's coverage from WonderCon 2025 here.
