Rumor: Spooky Pictures May Be Eyeing ‘The Man in the Orange Jacket’ U.S. Remake
UPDATE: HMU has learned that the potential U.S. remake is currently operating under the working title Workman. The project remains unconfirmed, and no additional details regarding filmmakers, cast or production plans have been confirmed at this time.
Horror Movies Uncut has heard that The Man in the Orange Jacket, Aik Karapetian’s unsettling 2014 Latvian horror film, may be the latest international genre title being considered for an American remake.
According to information obtained by HMU, Spooky Pictures is potentially in talks to develop a U.S. adaptation of the film. HMU is continuing to seek additional confirmation, and at this stage, the project should be treated strictly as a rumor rather than a formally announced production.
No filmmaker, writer or cast is currently known to be attached to the potential remake, and HMU has not confirmed whether Karapetian would have any involvement in a new version.
The original The Man in the Orange Jacket was written and directed by Karapetian and made its World Premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2014. The Latvia-Estonia production runs approximately 71 minutes and stars Maxim Lazarev, Anta Aizupe and Aris Rozentals. (Screen Daily)
The film follows a worker who loses his job after a shipyard is sold. Fueled by anger, he targets the wealthy industrialist connected to his unemployment before taking over the man’s home and attempting to assume his luxurious lifestyle. What initially resembles a violent class-driven revenge story gradually moves into more psychologically unstable and supernatural territory as the protagonist becomes convinced that someone — or something — is watching him. (Torino Film Fest)
Karapetian’s film attracted considerable attention during its original festival run for the way it blended slasher elements, psychological horror and a ghost story with themes of economic resentment and class division. Contemporary coverage from Fantasia described the film as an audacious slasher, while reviews noted its shift from a relatively straightforward story of violence into something increasingly rooted in paranoia and domestic horror. (Bloody Disgusting!)
The Man in the Orange Jacket also has some history with HMU. We covered the film during the early years of our Fantasia coverage in 2014, and more than a decade later, it remains memorable for its unnerving atmosphere, unexpected turns and ability to continually destabilize what the audience thinks it is watching.
That makes the possibility of an American reinterpretation particularly interesting. The original’s combination of economic anxiety, class resentment, home invasion and supernatural horror offers material that could potentially be transplanted into a different cultural setting without simply recreating Karapetian’s film beat for beat.
For now, however, there are considerably more questions than answers.
HMU has not independently confirmed that a deal has been completed, and there are currently no publicly announced details regarding a director, screenwriter, cast, production schedule or distributor. Spooky Pictures’ potential involvement also remains unconfirmed publicly.
Still, given HMU’s history with the original film, this is one developing rumor we felt was worth putting on the radar.
Horror Movies Uncut will continue working to confirm the status of the potential The Man in the Orange Jacket remake and will update the story if additional information becomes available.
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