The Sleepaway Camp remake based on the 1983 horror cult classic of the same name is officially moving forward. Fans of classic slasher movies have long supported the Sleepaway Camp franchise and its primary antagonist, Angela Baker, who has been played by Felissa Rose and Pamela Springsteen over the years. While it’s unknown who will be playing the part in the new film – we do know who will direct the iteration and it’s none other than the original film’s writer and director. The newly-announced Sleepaway Camp remake also has a rather surprising producer attached.
Robert Hiltzik both wrote and directed the original film which earned $11 million at the box office with a $350,000 budget. Of course, its twist ending revealing the gender-swapped identity of Angela Baker gave it an edge that other slashers at the time lacked. Now, outside of 2008’s Return to Sleepaway Camp which brought Hiltzik and Rose back to the franchise after two loosely-tied sequels with Pamela Springsteen, Hiltzik is once again returning to the franchise. This time he’ll remake the original story that started it all, however, rather than rely on making another decades-later sequel.
The cult classic brand, as shared via Deadline, had its remake rights acquired by AFA. For those unfamiliar, AFA is the production company spearheaded by Kenan Thompson and Johnny Ryan Jr., which makes for an interesting team to get behind this new project. According to Hiltzik, however, AFA was the only company that was willing to help fulfill his vision for the Sleepaway Camp remake.
“I am both thrilled and humbled to be working with AFA on the reimagined Sleepaway Camp. Though I have been approached by several companies regarding the remake of Sleepaway Camp, only AFA has shared my vision and is excited to have me helm the film, therefore preserving the integrity of the original film for the fans, as well as introducing Sleepaway Camp to a whole new generation. Be prepared for a new member of the Sleepaway Camp family.”
Thompson’s statement illustrated just how excited he is to tackle this classic gem from the exploitation and video store eras:
“Excited to work with the original genius Robert and bring back to life a camp classic!!!”
His partner, Ryan Jr., shared similar sentiments about the Sleepaway Camp remake while teasing future collaborations:
“This is only the beginning. Kenan and I always say we’re fans first and this couldn’t be more on brand for us.”
He continued to share their plans for the Sleepaway Camp remake:
‘I’ve been obsessed with the Sleepaway Camp franchise since I was a kid. We’ve wanted this title for 20 years and we’re over the moon Robert came back to write it. We’re staying true to the OG story while Robert adding in some insane new twists, we’re going crazy with the merch too!”
Sleepaway Camp Remake Potential
Naturally, details at this time are being kept under wraps. However, there’s plenty of potential for a Sleepaway Camp remake, especially when one considers Hiltzik’s original plans for the franchise’s future. He was initially absent for Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland. The result was two different sequels that, while they became cult classics in their own right, did not carry the same spirit as the original. Hiltzik attempted to rectify that with mixed results in Return to Sleepaway Camp, with further plans to continue the story that never came to fruition. This included the exploration of Angela’s Aunt Martha, played by the late Desiree Gould. A remake would allow Hiltzik to once again explore characters like Aunt Martha without the baggage of recasting the role for the original continuity.
Of course, fans are eager to know who will play Angela herself, and that news has yet to surface. While fans are hopeful Felissa Rose will still be involved in some capacity, it will definitely be difficult to find someone that can replicate her unique performance in the original movie. Likewise, Pamela Springsteen will also be hard to beat, as she made the character her own and offered a rather unique perspective that some fans preferred over the original. Either way, the team at AFA have their work cut out for them, but their enthusiasm promises great things for the Sleepaway Camp franchise and its future remake.
