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The upcoming Sleepy Hollow remake from Pet Sematary: Bloodlines writer-direct Lindsey Anderson Beer will deliver a fresh take on the Washington Irving classic, and there’s already much to discuss when it comes to the return of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving is one of the first popular works of literature in America. It’s been adapted into numerous movies and TV shows, including a 1949 animated Disney feature and a critically acclaimed 1999 Tim Burton version that starred Johnny Depp.
Lindsey Anderson Beer is behind the upcoming remake of Sleepy Hollow, and while there’s no confirmed cast or release window yet, her teases about the story direction already make the latest interpretation of Irving’s short story intriguing. Confirmed by Paramount in 2022, the writer-director has already started development on the new Sleepy Hollow movie, and has revealed she’ll be expanding lesser-explored areas of the tale of Ichabod Crane, the history of the town of Sleepy Hollow, and the Headless Horseman.
Most Recent Sleepy Hollow Remake News
The most recent news from the Sleepy Hollow remake came in September 2023. Writer-Director Lindsey Anderson Beer spoke to Collider about what can be expected from her upcoming reboot of Sleepy Hollow, teasing that her take on the classic story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman will try to explore new aspects of the story other remakes haven’t touched on — “What are the questions left unanswered from the book? And what are the parts of the book that haven’t been explored in movies?”
Beer drew many parallels between her Sleepy Hollow movie and her work on Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, a prequel to both Stephen King’s Pet Sematary novel and the 1989 movie adaptation. “Sleepy Hollow… You know, there are a lot of skill sets that are similar in terms of its beloved IP.” She explained. “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?’”
She closed off by adding “There are so many things like that aren’t explored in films, and that a lot of the fans don’t know because they haven’t read the book, or haven’t read the book for so much time.” This is a clear indication that the upcoming Sleepy Hollow remake will feature unexplored aspects of Washington Irving’s 1820 short story instead of focusing on the same memorable yet already-seen moments previous adaptations have repeatedly showcased.
The Sleepy Hollow Remake Is Confirmed
Lindsey Anderson Beer’s Sleepy Hollow remake is confirmed. Studio Paramount announced the project in June 2022, with Beer confirmed as writer-director from the outset (via Deadline). She’ll be joined as a producer by Broken Road Production’s Todd Garner and Spencer Walken.
The Sleepy Hollow Remake Release Date
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There’s no release date set for Lindsey Anderson Beer’s Sleepy Hollow remake. The movie is still in early development as of October 2023. While it’s entirely speculative, a Sleepy Hollow remake release date in 2026 or 2027 seems the most likely. It’s unknown if the movie will have a theatrical release or be heading straight to Paramount+, but given how recognizable the Sleepy Hollow IP is, it is unlikely Paramount will pass up on a potential box-office success.
The Sleepy Hollow Remake Cast
There have been no announcements surrounding the cast of Lindsey Anderson Beer’s Sleepy Hollow remake cast. Tim Burton’s 1999 version features Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane alongside Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel and Christopher Walken as the Headless Horseman. The cast also included the late Michael Gambon and Christopher Lee, both legends of the screen. Given the caliber of names associated with the property, it’s highly likely that the Sleepy Hollow remake will feature its fair share of known names.
The Sleepy Hollow Remake Story
The story of the Sleepy Hollow remake will be based on Washington Irving’s 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The book has inspired multiple movies and TV shows, including Tim Burton’s 1999 movie starring Johnny Depp and an animated Disney movie in the 1940s, as well as the 2013 Fox Sleepy Hollow TV series starring Tom Mison (although this took significant liberties with the source material).
The basic premise of Sleepy Hollow sees Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster from Connecticut, stays in the town of Sleepy Hollow. While there he falls for 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel (or her family’s money, depending on the adaptation) and competes with local hero Abraham for her hand. Ichabod is rejected and, while riding home, is confronted by a ghost of local legend — the Headless Horseman — and meets what’s implied to be a grizzly end.
This is the tale in its simplest form, and every adaptation of Sleepy Hollow tells its own version of the story. The book is only around 50 pages in length, so there’s plenty of scope to adapt and expand on Washington Irving’s work beyond the iconic moments and imagery such as the Headless Horseman. Lindsey Anderson Beer has already revealed this is the approach she’ll be taking with her Sleepy Hollow remake, and the plot of the upcoming movie will definitely be a different take on the tale than both Tim Burton’s 1999 version and Washington Irving’s original text.
