This time around the film will be directed by Franck Khalfoun and produced by Alexandre Aja and Gregory Lavasseur. Elijah Wood now assumes the role of the psychopathic serial killer Frank Zito which was originally preformed masterfully by the late great Joe Spinell.
In the retelling Woods' character works at a shop that sells antique mannequins. He finds victims on the Internet and stalks them like prey, all the while suffering from hallucinations that throw him back into the past when he was abused by his own mother. In his twisted mind he gains a measure of revenge against his mother with each kill.
What makes this film stand out over the original from 1980 is it will be shot partially from Elijah Wood's POV. It is also said to be more of a psychological horror movie instead of just blood and screams. Maniac finished shooting in Los Angeles in December 2011 and has been added as an official selection at the festival, which will show the film during its Midnight Screenings.
Look for the film to then be released in a much wider spectrum sometime in 2012.
Source: the 'Bid