Reboots aren’t always a good thing. Legendary scream queen Dee Wallace is well aware of that. It’s why she has no interest in having any role in a Cujo remake. Still, she knows that a reimagining of a horror film can be very special if done right. In fact, that’s exactly why she signed on to star in Critters Attack!
In her own words:
“I was so happy when they sent me the reboot of Critters. My first question was is this going to be CGI? And they said no, [they] were going to use a lot of the original design of the puppets. It’s all going to be puppets. And I went, ‘oh, let me read the script.’ I liked the script and I liked my part in it – she’s a real ball-buster – but my first concern was if this was going to be CGI. Because in a film like that, the fans are adamant that they do not want to see it done in a different way. They’re really adamant about the purity of the original.”
The made-for-TV movie clearly struck a chord with the actress because it pays homage to the original while still being new and fresh. This is also precisely why she believes a Cujo reboot would flop. The 70-year-old icon knows that any flick starring the demon dog would inevitably use CGI to make the hound as frightening as possible.
Despite how realistic the beast would look, it would never compare to the horror of the original. Back in 1983, such technology didn’t exist. Much like Jaws, the directors had to be creative in figuring out how to make the beast come to life. Cujo was played by four different St. Bernards, several mechanical dogs and a black Labrador-Great Dane mix in a St. Bernard costume. In some shots, stuntman Gary Morgan even played the dog in a large costume.
The ruse may not look great by today’s standards, but was extremely convincing at the time. Fans are adamant about their cult classics and tampering with the villain can make lots of people very upset. Wallace gets that, which is why she decided to go with the project that didn’t tarnish the creativity of the original.
Speaking of which, Critters Attack! will premiere on Syfy on July 23rd.