Jacob's Ladder (2019 film)

Jacob's Ladder is an upcoming American psychological horror film directed by David M. Rosenthal and written by Jeff Buhler and Sarah Thorp. It is a reimagining of the 1990 film of the same title. The film stars Michael Ealy, Jesse Williams, Nicole Beharie, Karla Souza and Guy Burnet.

Synopsis
"After losing his brother in combat, Jacob Singer returns home from Afghanistan — only to be pulled into a mind-twisting state of paranoia. Singer soon realizes that his sibling is alive but life is not what it seems."

Cast

 * Michael Ealy
 * Jesse Williams
 * Nicole Beharie
 * Karla Souza
 * Guy Burnet as the Veteran Agency pharmacist Hoffman

Development
In 2013, The Midnight Meat Train screenwriter Jeff Buhler was reported to be writing a script for LD Entertainment's new version of Jacob's Ladder, based on an earlier draft by Jake Wade Wall. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "the producers are looking to make something more akin to an homage and not mimic the original. The plan is to contemporize the story with new situations and characters but still maintain a story that examines issues and poses existential questions". James Foley was attached as director in November 2013. By March 2016, Foley was no longer attached to the project and was replaced by David M. Rosenthal. Rewrites were provided by Sarah Thorp when Buhler was unavailable to return.

Buhler said that since, due to two recent wars, the American "cultural understanding of the experience of warfare and what it does to people mentally" has become "a completely different place than it was" in 1990, he decided to not be "necessarily going to the same conclusion, and finding a new way to give the audience an experience that is similar in terms of impact and feeling, but that doesn't play the same tune. It was a very tricky situation in the sense that we were trying to recreate something, but honor the spirit and concept (of the original), while telling a different story". Buhler promised a different twist ending than in the original 1990 film.

Casting and filming
In March 2016, it was announced The Perfect Guy star Michael Ealy had signed on to star in and executive-produce the film. In April 2016, Jesse Williams and Nicole Beharie joined the cast of the film, followed by Guy Burnet and Karla Souza in June. Williams described the film as "a total re-imagining of the cult classic".

Principal photography began on May 2, 2016.

Release
Jacob's Ladder will premiere on DISH in July 2019 before being theatrically released by Vertical Entertainment in August 2019. Previously, the film was set to be released by LD Entertainment on February 1, 2019.