Michael Giacchino will direct a remake of Them!

1954’s Them! is one of my favourites of the old creature features. Giant Ants caused by nuclear radiation. What’s not to love?

The opening scenes with the two cops (one of whom was  James Whitmore from The Shawshank Redemption) investigating strange goings on, the little girl who doesn’t speak and the strange sounds coming from the desert are just done perfectly.

As with many things, the film is up for a remake and composer/director Michael Giacchino will make his feature debut directing it. Giacchino directed Marvel’s Werewolf By Night which shows he has a lot of love for the old monster movies, so I think he will be a good choice for this one.

With regards to remakes, I never really mind them. They bring attention to the original, which will still be there, and if it is good then we have something new to watch. Plus it is always good to see a new monster movie so this is one remake I will definitely be looking forward to. If it is successful then it means we will get more big budget monster movies.

“There’s always a movie in your mind that never leaves your head,” Giacchino told Deadline. “For me, that’s Them! It wasn’t until much later in life until I learned what it was about — the nuclear age.

What I love about Them! is exactly what it’s called: Them! It’s about the other, the unknown which one refuses or can’t understand. The current version of Them! is about immigration, and to tell a story about the subject through a lens of this insane science fiction monster movie.”

As the original saw the giant ants travel from New Mexico to Los Angeles then looking at it through the lens of immigration is easy enough to see.

Giacchino composed the music for film such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Star Trek, The Batman and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. As he did with Werewolf by Night, he also plans to score Them!

“Michael Giacchino is a unique talent. We’re excited to be working with him and have him at the studio,” said Warner Bros Pictures President of Production and Development Jesse Ehrman.