It’s been eighteen months since we last reported an update on the Faces of Death reboot. So, we must ask; where is this film?
Last we reported was in May 2024, and at that time, Faces of Death had just received an “R” rating from the MPA.
Upon learning this, we assumed a release date for the film would follow soon… But since then, we’ve heard only silence from Legendary Pictures.
A “reimagining” of the controversial video nasty from 1978, Faces of Death comes to us from filmmakers Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber. The cast includes Dacre Montgomery of Stranger Things, Cocaine Bear’s Aaron Holliday, and musician Charli XCX in her feature debut.
According to an official synopsis, the meta reboot details:
“A woman who moderates a YouTube-like platform, responsible for filtering out any content that is offensive or violent, comes across a group on the website that appears to be re-enacting the murders from the original film. However, given the digital age of widespread misinformation online, are these murders real or fake?”
It all sounded very promising.
Last we heard, the film had tested positively during several screenings in Los Angeles, but that was almost two years ago… So, what happened?
A reliable source tells us that the film didn’t test as positively as the PR line led people to believe. Furthermore, we’re told that Legendary Pictures is unwilling to funnel any additional money into Faces of Death, as they do not see it as a commercially viable project.
According to our source, the material is “too niche,” and the connection to the controversial 1978 original would be lost on a modern audience.
Following poor test screenings, Legendary Pictures opted to shelf the film, despite the considerable name recognition involved. Their decision has been bolstered by the underperformance of several high-profile genre films in 2024 and 2025.
So, depressing news, indeed.
It looks as though the Faces of Death reboot won’t be seeing the light of day anytime soon.
