‘Poltergeist’ Clip: They’re Not Here, But They’re Coming

The upcoming remake of Poltergeist is attempting to “contemporize” the original story for a more modern audience, since, you know, young modern audiences generally take issue with anything “old.” The first clip from the film gives us a taste of what they mean by that with a new take on an iconic scene, swapping “they’re here” for “they’re coming,” which is kind of the same, but different.

“More of the same, but different” is a typical Hollywood motto — give the audience what they fell in love with in the first place, give them what’s familiar, but make it kind of different. Kind of. The Poltergeist remake is doing just that. Produced by Sam Raimi and directed by Gil Kenan (Monster House), this new Poltergeist will pay homage to the classic with a few changes, like the iconic clown, for instance. This time around, the clown isn’t just a harmless doll that appears to be threatening thanks to some ghosts, but an outright terrifying toy. Who buys their kid something like that?

In the above clip, Kenan has changed things up slightly to echo the scene from the original Poltergeist, in which Carol Ann eerily sing-songs “they’re here” as the evil entities try to attract her through her television. The new version young Madison Bowen sitting before an HD television, speaking to the scary ghosts in the screen. She turns to her brother and says, “They’re coming,” which is different in that it’s more of a threat, and less of an announcement that the family has guests.

Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi (Spiderman, Evil Dead, The Grudge) and director Gil Kenan (Monster House) contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and hold the youngest daughter captive, the family must come together to rescue her before she disappears forever.

Poltergeist stars Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt and Jared Harris, and hits theaters on May 22.