David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick wrote Aquaman and the Conjuring sequels — the Vincent Must Die remake is his first film as director
Variety says Aquaman scribe David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick is stepping behind the camera for a remake of a much-lauded horror — and he’s co-writing it too.
If you thought Hollywood had run out of odd reboot ideas, think again. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick—best known for wielding a pen on Aquaman and various The Conjuring sequels—apparently fancied a crack behind the camera, and now he’s landed it. He’s officially directing the English-language remake of last year’s napalm-grade French cult horror, Vincent Must Die.
I’m so grateful to my collaborators at AR Content, Vertigo and Atomic Monster for bringing me this opportunity and trusting in my vision. I immediately fell in love with the film, and so having a chance to step into this crazy world they created is a dream come true.
That was Johnson-McGoldrick waxing lyrical after snagging the gig, in one of those Industry Statements that sound suspiciously like a supermarket acceptance speech. In fairness to him, the original film did cause a splash when it landed at Cannes in 2023—not a bad bit of source material if you’re looking for horror with a proper bite.
The Original
The original Vincent Must Die, directed by Stéphan Castang, is a French-Belgian effort featuring Karim Leklou as the hapless Vincent. Bleakly comic and extremely bloody, the story tracks a graphic designer suddenly targeted by random people—anyone who makes eye contact with him seems compelled to try and murder him, which is about as inconvenient as it gets on a Monday. As this mysterious phenomenon escalates, Vincent’s existence becomes a running escape act, with new rules for survival required on the fly.
Read more: Blumhouse is remaking Vincent Must Die, a French horror that only came out three years ago
The 2023 Cannes-premiered original won over critics, pulling off a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The cast on Castang’s version is flush with European talent: François Chattot, Vimala Pons, Jean-Rémi Chaize, Ulysse Genevrey, Karoline Rose Sun, Emmanuel Vérité, Sébastien Chabane, Benoît Lambert, and Léna Dia, if you want to make a checklist.
The Remake Setup
Johnson-McGoldrick’s remake isn’t just a directorial debut—it’s also another writing credit for him. If you need the horror credentials, he’s previously scripted The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Orphan: First Kill, and a handful of additional franchise entries, along with Red Riding Hood and a project called Insidious: Out of the Further. In short: don’t expect him to go light on the macabre or the weird.
Backing him on this remake: Alexander Rodnyansky (with AR Content), Roy Lee (Vertigo Entertainment), and Michael Clear (from Blumhouse and Atomic Monster). Stuart Manashil and Michael Kupisk are on as executive producers. So yes, the usual suspects in the horror remake industrial complex are all present and correct.
- David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick: Director & writer
- Alexander Rodnyansky: Producer (AR Content)
- Roy Lee: Producer (Vertigo Entertainment)
- Michael Clear: Producer (Blumhouse Atomic Monster)
- Stuart Manashil, Michael Kupisk: Executive producers