At long last, Maniac Cop, a modern adaptation of William Lustig’s 1988 cult classic that Nicolas Winding Refn and his partner Lene Børglum are producing, is set to shoot this summer in Los Angeles, with Wild Bunch on board to handle world sales, Variety is reporting.
John Hyams, who directed the super fun Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, is behind the camera from a script by Refn and Ed Brubaker (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Angel of Death) in collaboration with Refn, and will be helmed by
The new film is set in the present, and follows a determined L.A. police officer who sets out to reveal the truth about the brutal murders of innocent people by one of her fellow cops. According to the site, casting is officially underway.
Børglum told the site that that Maniac Cop will not be a pure horror film but rather a contemporary and realistic action thriller.
Also interesting… although Refn will be creatively involved in the film, Maniac Cop will showcase Hyams’ directing style. “The reason why we wanted to work with John Hyams is because we love his visual style and his ability to work extremely well on a limited budget,” Børglum said.
Paul Brett at London-based Prescience MA’s Merlin Funds will finance the pic, which is being produced by Refn and Børglum’s Copenhagen-set banner Space Rocket Nation, along with Bold Films.
