The Roanoke Times recently wrote about the forthcoming filming of Plan 9 From Outer Space, a remake of Ed Wood’s classic 1959 sci-fi zombie flick that’s considered the “best-worst movie of all-time”.

Charlottesville director and producer John Johnson, himself a veteran of low-budget schlock, thinks Plan 9 can be redeemed. And he’s filming his remake in Roanoke starting Friday.

Johnson’s goals are relatively modest. His company, Darkstone Entertainment, intends to use a cast and crew of about 200, including extras, wrap up by April 25, and aim for a worldwide direct-to-DVD release.

Yet his intention to remake Wood’s reverse masterpiece has generated a huge amount of attention within cult film circles. As he puts it, “Who in their right mind would remake the worst film of all time?”
The Roanoke Times continues:

“He didn’t start out with a grand plan to remake “Plan 9.” While on the set of a different movie, Johnson was griping about Hollywood’s penchant to crank out bad remakes of well-regarded horror films. Someone asked him what film he’d like to see remade. His answer was “Plan 9 from Outer Space.” He sent an email to his friends in film circles sharing this thought, not meaning it as a serious commitment.

The email got forwarded. News items appeared in venues such as the horror trade journal Fangoria reporting that he’d be doing the remake, Johnson said. When that happened, he looked into what it would take to secure the rights and discovered the film is in the public domain.

Essentially, he’s taken Wood’s idea, in which aliens revive the dead to attack the living in a plot to take over the world, and written his own version. His goal is to create a straightforward, low-budget, horror picture tinged with humor. He cites iconic 1980s flicks such as “Fright Night” and “Lost Boys” as models.

For more information, and to see a teaser trailer, visit the film’s official website”