John Carpenter's 1984 sci-fi classic Starman is getting a modern remake with Shawn Levy at the helm. The original picture saw an extraterrestrial being responding to NASA's Voyager II message to stop by and pay a visit to Earth. But when his ship was grounded by a missile, the Starman inhabits the body of a deceased man (Jeff Bridges) and kidnaps his widow (Karen Allen) in the hopes of traveling to a rendezvous with a ship from his home planet. While the two are being chased across the country by the U.S. government, a new bond begins to grow between them.

As THR reports, the Columbia Pictures' movie will come into the 21st century with a new script from Arash Amel (Erased, Grace of Monaco). Michael Douglas, who produced the original film, will also produce the remake alongside Levy.

Levy's an interesting choice for the director's chair for this remake. He's directed some light sci-fi in Real Steel, has a fun family franchise under his belt with the Night at the Museum movies, and has also helmed a number of comedies. Directing aside, the success of a Starman remake probably doesn't depend on the feelings of nostalgia for the 30-year-old movie but rather the casting choices for the lead roles. That, more than anything else, should tell us what kind of tone Levy and Columbia are aiming for.

Check out the original trailer for Starman below:

Here's the synopsis for the original film as well:

Answering a NASA message intended for aliens, a space being tries to contact mankind, but an American missile grounds his ship. Scrambling, the so-called Starman (Jeff Bridges) inhabits the body of a late Wisconsinite and kidnaps the dead man's widow, Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen). Determined to reunite with a vessel from his home planet at a predetermined site, Starman and Jenny travel to Arizona. Pursued by military officials trying to kill him, Starman forges a lasting bond with Jenny.