Before there was The Amityville Horror, there was the murder of the DeFeo family.
Today brings word that a new chapter in The Amityville Horror saga is in the works. A prequel, Amityville 1974, will begin principal photography later this year. Deadline broke the news:
“The Wonderfilm Media Corporation announced today that Amityville 1974 has been given the green light to begin principal photography in November with its story of the real-life rampage murders that would become the background story for author Jay Anson’s 1977 bestseller The Amityville Horror and the numerous films that have invoked it in name or premise.”
In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed his mother, father, and siblings in a shotgun rampage at the infamous house at 112 Ocean Avenue in the Amityville neighborhood in Long Island. He claimed he was commanded to commit the atrocities by voices in his head.
1979’s The Amityville Horror remains a paradigm of haunted house movies.
Are you a fan of The Amityville Horror? Are you excited to hear a prequel, Amityville 1974, is in the works? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.