Despite its humble production, THE HILLS HAVE EYES broke box-office records when it was released in the summer of 1977. Audiences were literally stunned by what they saw and critics were shocked and baffled. Unlike conventional horror films of the time, with their predictable monsters and comprehensible killers, this film boldly pushed the farthest edges of cinematic horror past long-held taboos and opened the way for today’s unflinching cinematic investigations of fear. It became a classic, influencing numerous future horror films and jarring viewers with its emotional fever pitch well into the DVD age.
Flash forward 30 years . . . now, intrigued by the astonishing success of such horror remakes as THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and AMITYVILLE HORROR, Craven and his producing partners began pondering the possibility of revisiting THE HILLS HAVE EYES – but with the heightened storytelling power of today’s far more advanced cinematic tools. Craven explains: “Because the original had been produced on such a minuscule budget, there were many aspects of the story I simply couldn’t afford to explore. Fortunately, the new version has a much bigger budget so we were able to greatly expand the production’s scope and take more time and care in shooting.”
In order to re-introduce this horror classic to contemporary audiences, Craven knew it would take up-to-the-minute verve and style, so he and his production team began to look for a rising young director to bring fresh perspective to the project. The position was going to be extremely tough to fill. It would require an authentic visual innovator -- someone with not only a dark and distinctive imagination but a unique talent capable of revisiting the dynamic action, gallows humor and edge-of-your-seat terror of the landmark film, while fusing them into an entirely new experience.
Ever on the lookout for exceptional filmmakers, Wes Craven’s longtime producing partner Marianne Maddalena was dazzled when she saw Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseurs’ 2003 French film HIGH TENSION, a blood-drenched tale of serial murder and mayhem that served as an ode to 1970s American horror/slasher movies. After viewing the film, Maddelena called Craven and Locke to tell them they must see it at once.
Locke, Craven and his entire production team were equally impressed by HIGH TENSION and its provocative, fresh approach to the frequently over-worked genre. “We all agreed it was brilliant,” says Marianne Maddalena. Moreover, the independently produced, low-budget film had exemplary production values, demonstrating to Craven, Maddalena and Locke that Aja and Levasseur were savvy filmmakers who could be highly creative within severe financial constraints.
Often credited with a keen eye for spotting burgeoning talent, and having previously discovered such screen luminaries as Sharon Stone and Johnny Depp, Craven took little convincing that Aja and Levasseur were the right filmmakers to rework his classic film.
“With HIGH TENSION, Alex and Gregory demonstrated a multi-faceted understanding of what is profoundly terrifying,” comments Craven. “After viewing the film and then meeting the film makers, I knew I wanted to work with them.”
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