This ‘Cujo’ Remake Sounds Nothing Like Stephen King’s ‘Cujo’ at All

There are always at least a dozen Stephen King adaptations in the works, and right now there are plenty, including Hulu’s 11/22/63 series, the multi-film adaptation of The Stand with a tie-in TV series at Showtime, and It — which is still moving forward with Cary Fukunaga’s script, but without Fukunaga directing. There have also been remakes of King adaptations, including the recent update of Carrie. But if you thought that one was disappointing, then you haven’t heard about this Cujo “remake.”

I say “remake” in quotes because this new version is basically just co-opting the name to use it for something…else. Film School Rejects got their hands on a press release announcing production on C.U.J.O., which stands for Canine Unit Joint Operations, which sounds like the title of an animated movie for kids.

It’s not — it’s a reboot. The film will be directed by Lang Elliott, who last directed the forgotten 1989 film Cage II, starring Lou Ferrigno. Elliott also wrote the screenplay.

The release was sent out to announce the casting of DJ Perry, a producer and actor known for his roles in films like Small Town Santa and Ghost Town: The Movie. Lang had this to say about Perry’s casting:

DJ Perry sets a new refreshing standard from the typical Hollywood actors. Besides being extremely talented, DJ does stunts, martial arts and can stop bullets with his teeth! He does it all.

King’s original novel and the 1983 film both center on a woman left alone with her son when her husband goes on a business trip. When their car breaks down, mother and son are trapped in a hot car while a rabid St. Bernard terrorizes them.

Obviously, C.U.J.O. sounds nothing like the actual Cujo. If we’re making assumptions based on the title alone, it appears that this version has something to do with a tactical team taking out a monster dog. It also does not appear that this film will be heading to a big screen of any kind — if anything, it’s going straight to DVD or Syfy.