Paul Giamatti has officially signed on to headline the television remake of Eli Roth's renowned horror franchise, "Hostel." The project is currently under development at Fifth Season, the studio responsible for the critically acclaimed "Severance," and is eagerly awaiting a distributor to join the fray. Roth himself will helm the project as both director and screenwriter, alongside original franchise producer Chris Briggs, who will also serve as executive producer alongside "Hostel" alum Mike Fleiss.
The original "Hostel," which debuted in theaters in 2005 and spawned two sequels, thrilled and horrified audiences with its tale of unsuspecting American tourists lured by a mysterious stranger to travel from Barcelona to Slovakia. There, they were captured by a shadowy underground organization that catered to wealthy clients with a perverse penchant for torturing and killing their captives.
The upcoming series is envisioned as a modern reinterpretation and reinvention of the low-budget horror franchise that first captured hearts and minds with its $82 million haul on a mere $4.8 million budget. Even the less commercially successful sequel, "Hostel: Part II" in 2007, raked in over $35 million against a $10.2 million budget. A third installment, sans Roth's involvement, was released direct-to-DVD in 2011.
Giamatti, fresh from his Golden Globe triumph for his role in "The Holdovers," revealed to Variety during the awards circuit that he has a penchant for horror films, confessing that his favorite horror movie is the iconic "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." With a resume spanning diverse roles in shows like "Billions," and films such as "Saving Private Ryan," "Too Big to Fail," and "Sideways," Giamatti is represented by UTA, Kipperman Management, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
Roth's recent nightmares have taken him to the forefront of innovative storytelling, including the groundbreaking first-ever live-action VR series, "The Faceless Lady," released by Meta. He also helmed the 2023 horror flick "Thanksgiving," which is currently gearing up for a sequel. Additionally, he directed the highly anticipated video game adaptation "Borderlands," starring an ensemble cast of Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis, set to hit theaters on August 9.
