The last I remember of Nicolas Winding Refn's plan to remake cult classic slasher Maniac Cop was in 2012, and at the time he hoped to do it as a movie. Over the years his thoughts on the project have clearly changed, but his desire to make it is still there, only now it'll be as a series for HBO.
Refn is on board to direct a Maniac Cop series for HBO, and he'll be joined by screenwriter John Hyams, who is probably best known for his pair of Universal Soldier movies. Hyams had been attached to a Maniac Cop remake himself back in 2015.
This new take by Refn and Hyams is based on the 1988 movie which included Bruce Campbell and Richard Roundtree in its cast, which should say everything about the low-budget aesthetic of the original. Hopefully Refn can recapture some of that in his series, which will again center on a mysterious cop on a murderous rampage, pursued by fellow officers who don't know if the killer is real or something supernatural. The story will be told from multiple perspectives, from cops to common criminals.
Refn said in a statement: “Turning ‘Maniac Cop’ into a series will allow us to realize our wildest ambitions and to reach an enormous audience though partners HBO and Canal Plus. This show will be an unadulterated, action-packed horror odyssey. Given the current state of the world, though, ‘Maniac Cop’ will also be a strong commentary on the decline of civilization.”
This follows on the heels of Refn's Amazon series Too Old to Die Young, which carried with it some of the experimental style he's brought to the big screen. Here's hoping HBO gives him the green light to take a ballsy approach with Maniac Cop and make it something special. [Variety]
