Lindsey Beer, the writer and director behind an upcoming Sleepy Hollow reboot movie, teases how her adaptation will explore the book’s mysteries. Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow short story was released in 1820, eventually becoming the subject of a number of adaptations. Tim Burton’s 1999 take on the source material is probably the most well known, with Johnny Depp playing Ichabod Crane and Christopher Walken playing the Headless Horseman.
Now, Beer, who is behind upcoming Stephen King adaptation Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, teases to Collider what audiences can expect from her new take on Sleepy Hollow. While it’s still very early days for the project, the writer/ director reveals that she’ll be taking a similar approach to the Irving adaptation as she did with the King one. Check out Beer’s full comment below:
“Sleepy Hollow… You know, there are a lot of skill sets that are similar in terms of its beloved IP. It’s also the same kind of thing where when I was doing Bloodlines, I kept asking myself when I was doing the rewrites, ‘What would I want to know as a Pet Sematary fan? What are the questions left unanswered from the book? And what are the parts of the book that haven’t been explored in movies?’”
What To Expect From The Sleepy Hollow Reboot
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has now been adapted quite a few times, including in both animation and live-action. The tale of Ichabod Crane remains chilling even two centuries later, with the story chronicling the young man’s journey to the community of Sleepy Hollow where, after failing to court a local young woman, he finds himself the target of the legendary Headless Horseman. The short story ultimately leaves Ichabod’s fate up to interpretation, with audiences left to wonder whether he made it across the town’s bridge to safety or if he was killed.
The short story’s general premise seems like it will also be at the center of Beer’s take on Sleepy Hollow. Where the writer/ director can get creative, however, will be with the details. Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, for example, takes a number of liberties with the source material, expanding and elaborating on sections of the book, including more fully exploring the Headless Horseman. With Beer’s latest comments taken into account, the short story will likely be mined to its fullest extent.
While many questions remain about the new take on Sleepy Hollow, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, Beer’s debut feature, could be an indication as to how she will tackle Irving’s story and what her storytelling sensibilities are. It’s too early to talk about casting as the upcoming adaptation doesn’t even have a release date, but Beer could end up being a significant figure in the horror movie space in the years ahead.
