Kenan Thompson and Johnny Ryan Jr.’s production company AFA has officially secured the remake rights to Sleepaway Camp, the cult classic ’80s slasher that shocked audiences with its unforgettable twist. Even more, they’re bringing the franchise full circle: original writer-director Robert Hiltzik will return to pen and helm the new version.
Specifics of AFA’s take on the material remain under wraps, but the move marks a major coup for the company, which has prioritized projects that keep creative ownership with the artist. For Hiltzik and his wife, who’ve held remake rights for decades, the deal represents the chance they’d long waited for — to revisit Sleepaway Camp on their own terms and with their vision intact.
Released in 1983, Sleepaway Camp followed a shy teenager whose summer at Camp Arawak spirals into blood-soaked chaos as fellow campers are killed one by one. The low-budget film, shot at a real New York summer camp Hiltzik attended as a kid, grossed around $11 million against a $350,000 budget. Its whodunit framework, in the mold of Friday the 13th, and its shocking finale secured its place in horror history, spawning sequels and a dedicated cult following.
The franchise lived on through Michael A. Simpson’s Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988) and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989), both starring Pamela Springsteen, and Hiltzik’s own Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008). A belated Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor followed in 2012. But despite years of remake chatter — including a stalled attempt by former 20th Century Fox executive Jeff Katz in 2016 — no official reimagining has gotten off the ground until now.
Thompson, no stranger to camp stories after starring opposite Ben Stiller in the ‘90s kids’ comedy Heavyweights, will produce the film alongside Ryan Jr. Executive producers include Robinson Velasco, Monica Weber, Cory Litwin, and Boris Shvartz, whose new partnership and investment helped launch the project following AFA’s exit from its overall deal at Universal. Range Media Partners, which reps AFA, will handle sales.
Founded in 2021, AFA has quickly made its mark, earning an Emmy nomination for Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson and winning a Kids Choice Award for Good Burger 2. With Sleepaway Camp, the company is diving into the horror space while staying true to its mission of amplifying creators’ voices and protecting their visions.
For fans who’ve waited decades for a worthy remake, the return of Robert Hiltzik to Camp Arawak — with Kenan Thompson and AFA behind him — may finally deliver the definitive reimagining of this cult horror classic.