The name Gil Kenan probably doesn't mean a lot to most people, but he's responsible for the terrific animated film, Monster House. His follow-up to that, the fantasy adaptation City of Ember, was ignored and not at all memorable. But apparently he's shown enough to impress Sam Raimi, who has selected him to direct the long-developing remake of Poltergeist.
Raimi is producing the film, which MGM has been trying to get off the ground for quite some time. It was looking like Raimi may take the directing reins, but he's decided to merely produce and pass the job on to another guy looking to make a name for himself. it's no different than Raimi's choice in the unknown Fede Alvarez to tackle his Evil Dead remake. The original Poltergeist was released in 1982, directed by Tobe Hooper, and followed a family whose home is invaded by malevolent spirits, abducting the daughter after communicating with her through the television.
David Lindsay-Abaire (Rise of the Guardians) is penning the script, and the big question now is whether this is meant to be a true horror or something the whole family will want to turn out for. The recent resumes of both Lindsay-Abaire and Kenan strongly suggest the latter. [Deadline]
