Ryan Kruger, director of the new Street Trash, considers his film to be a sequel to the 1987 original rather than a remake of it
Last year, it was announced that the 1987 cult classic horror comedy Street Trash (buy it HERE) would be getting a remake from Ryan Kruger, the director of the 2020 body horror film Fried Barry! Kruger’s take on the concept, which moves the story from Brooklyn to South Africa, is now ready to make its way out into the world, as Cineverse holds the North American distribution rights and they’re planning to release the film through the Screambox streaming service on November 19th. With the release date swiftly approaching, Kruger sat down for an interview with our friends at Bloody Disgusting – and during this conversation, he revealed that he considers the new Street Trash to be a sequel to the original movie, not a remake of it.
The original Street Trash was directed by J. Michael Muro from a screenplay by Roy Frumkes. Fourteen years ago, Frumkes said he was working on the script for Street Trash 2… but that sequel never made it into production. Thankfully, Muro and Frumkes are both involved with the remake. They served as executive producers alongside Bad Dragon and Vinegar Syndrome.
The Street Trash remake follows a group of homeless misfits as they fight for survival when they discover a plot to exterminate every homeless person in the city. Variety assured that this new take on the concept “stays true to the original plot — which chronicles the disgusting decay of New York wanderers after ingesting bottles of toxic alcohol — but expounds the gore to create a metaphor for something much larger.”
When the project was first announced, Kruger provided the following statement: “Our reimagining of Street Trash takes place in Cape Town, South Africa where the growing divide between rich and poor has changed the world as we know it. I was a huge fan of the original Street Trash when I was a kid, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce a whole new generation to the melted gonzo goodness that made the original such a classic. While our reimagining features new, exciting plot elements that give the film many bizarre twists and turns, the core of the film lies with our diverse and unique cast of characters. As a director, I am very character centric and I can’t wait to see our strange and hilarious ensemble on screen together as they navigate the hostile streets of Cape Town. Our version of Street Trash will be raw, hilarious, packed with vibrant characters and multi-colored explosions of gooey greatness.“
Fans of the Shudder series The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs might point out the fact that Fried Barry and the original Street Trash have both been screened on that show – and it’s no coincidence, as the Street Trash remake is being produced by The Last Drive-In producers Justin Martell and Matt Manjourides of Not the Funeral Home. Cineverse’s Chris McGurk, Brandon Hill, Brad Miska, and Yolanda Macias also serve as executive producers. Production in South Africa was handled by Protagonist Studios and Stage Five Films.
Kruger told Bloody Disgusting, “It’s in the same world as the 1987 original film. We actually mention stuff from the original film. So for me, it’s always been more of a sequel. For the original fans, it’s actually a sequel. For a new audience it can be a standalone film.” While he was making the movie, he endeavored to make it as ’80s as possible, using old school prosthetics (and multi-colored goo) for the gore sequences and shooting on 35mm film.
Are you looking forward to the new Street Trash, and are you glad to hear that the director considers it to be a sequel rather than a remake? Let us know by leaving a comment below.