CM Punk and AJ Lee Join Horror Remake Rabid

– CM Punk and April “AJ Lee” Mendez have joined the cast of the horror remake Rabid, based on the David Cronenberg film. Back 40 Pictures announced today that Punk will play Billy and Mendez will play Kira in the upcoming film, which is directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska (American Mary). It is based on Cronenberg’s 1977 film, which Ivan Reitman executive produced.

Rabid stars Laura Vandervoort as Rose, a demure seamstress who goes through a radical transformation after electing for plastic surgery following a disfiguring accident. Ben Hollingsworth is Brad, a fashion photographer. Hanneke Talbot who portrays Rose’s best friend Chelsea, and Mackenzie Gray plays arrogant fashion designer Gunter.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be re-imagining David’s 1977 body horror classic, Rabid, with such incredible support behind us. We are not fans of the current trend of soulless remakes as they disrespect the fans and the original body of work. Our Rabid is a continuation of the thoughts and conversation David started, but modernized through a female perspective. The film will not only honour his original Rabid but also Cronenberg’s entire body of work. This would not have been possible without a team behind us that cares about the artist as well as the fans,” said the Soska sisters.

Drawing influence from the original movie, the remake is set in the seductive and glamourous world of high fashion and will follow Rose (Laura Vandervoort), a young woman whose disfigurement after an accident leads to a radical and untested stem-cell treatment. While turning Rose into the belle of the ball, the experimental transformation comes at a price.

A71 Entertainment will distribute the film in Canada, with 101 Films handling the United Kingdom. Back 40 Pictures will handle theatrical distribution duties in the United States, and Shout! Studios’ Scream Factory imprint will distribute the film across multiple platforms in the U.S.