Poltergeist receives a creepy poster update in new AI-generated art. Written by Steven Spielberg, the original Poltergeist was released in 1982 and was directed by Tobe Hooper. The film stars JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, and Heather O’Rourke, and unveils the story of the Freeling family as their home is haunted by a series of demonic ghosts.
Now, an AI-generated poster gives an updated look to Poltergeist. From @nckss_82 on Instagram, the Poltergeist poster is replete with vibrant colors. The poster shows the creepy demon lording over the Freeling house.
@nckss_82 captions the post with “AI created poster of Poltergeist” with a laughing emoji underneath. While the poster is not necessarily funny, it is far afield from the actual 1982 poster for Poltergeist, which showed a black-and-white image of Carol Anne Freeling transfixed by a possessed television. This AI poster does, however, draw out the neon color aesthetic of the 1980s, catapulting viewers into the time period in which the film is set.
What Is Next for the Poltergeist Franchise?
Poltergeist is over four decades old now, and is now considered staple viewing among horror fans. The film was followed up by sequels Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III in 1986 and 1988, respectively. Poltergeist III notably marked the last on-screen appearance for child star O’Rourke who tragically died at the age of 12 following a bout of septic shock that caused her two cardiac arrests.
Over the years, there have been attempts to revive the Poltergeist franchise. In 2015, director Gil Kenan remade Poltergeist into a film starring Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt. Neither this film — nor the Poltergeist sequels for that matter — came anywhere near close to living up to the unique horror gem that is the original Poltergeist.
Most recently, Amazon and MGM announced that they were developing a TV series adaptation of Poltergeist. Very little information is available as details of the show, including who will write and direct, so the certainty of the series remains in doubt. If the series is made, hopefully it can recapture the terrifying thrill of the Freeling household tale better than previous attempts to follow-up Poltergeist.
