The Blob (film series)

The Blob
Official logo, as released originally in 1958.
Based on	Original story by Irving H. Millgate
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	1958-present
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$12,338,776 (3 films)
Box office	~$19,350,000 (3 films)

The Blob franchise consists of American science fiction monster-horror films, including the Steve McQueen-led original, its campy comedic sequel, and its remake. Based on an original story by Irving H. Millgate, the plot centers around the invasion of Earth by an amoeboidal alien from outer space that emerges from a meteorite and feasts on anything that it comes into contact with. The story of each installment includes the resistance of the planet's inhabitants, and their attempts to thwart the monster's advances.

The 1958 original film was met initially with mixed critical reception,^[1] but was a financial successes at the box office, making a large return for the studio despite its B-movie micro-sized production budget.^[2] Becoming more popular than the top-billed film in its debut double feature release, The Blob (1958) has been deemed a horror classic of U.S. cinema, by modern day critics who cite its influence over contemporary films.^[3][4]

Its 1972 sequel was likewise met with mixed reception from critics, and ultimately lost money at the box office.^[5][6] In the years since, criticisms regarded the change of genre, its comedy style, and the inclusion of hippie plotlines calling it a "relic" of its time;^[7][6] while the cast and their performance were stated as being notable.^[8][9]

The 1988 remake was also met with mixed reviews from critics,^[10] while being deemed a box office bomb upon its release.^[11][12] Despite these early reactions, the film has gained a following of fans, and is often regarded as one of the greatest remakes in the history of horror films, earning its classification as a cult classic by modern film critics; some even consider it better than the original.^[13][14][15]

As of 2015, a reboot film was said to have been in development.^[16]

The Blob, directed by Irvin Yeaworth, written by Kay Linaker and Theodore Simonson, and starring Steve McQueen and Aneta Corsaut, follows a carnivorous amoeboidal alien that crashes to Earth from outer space inside a meteorite, landing near the small communities of Phoenixville and Downingtown, Pennsylvania, which envelops living beings, growing larger, redder in color, and more aggressive as it moves along.

Beware! The Blob, directed by Larry Hagman, written by Anthony Harris and Jack Woods III from a story by Jack H. Harris and Richard Clair, and starring Robert Walker and Gwynne Gilford, follows the titular blob fifteen years on from the events of the previous film, as it is unfrozen by an oblivious pipeline engineer, and teenagers must face off against it as it consumes more and more people.

The Blob, a remake of the 1958 film directed by Chuck Russell, co-written by Russell with Frank Darabont, and starring Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith, follows an acidic, amoeba-like organism that crashes down to Earth in a military satellite, landing near the small community of Arborville, California, and devouring and dissolving anything in its path as it grows.

In August 2009, it was announced that a reboot of the franchise was in development, with Rob Zombie serving as writer, director, and producer. The filmmaker stated that his adaptation would be different from the original, with a darker tone; stating that his "intention is not to have a big red blobby thing", and that it's "the first thing [he] want[ed] to change". The production was intended to be R-rated, with Zombie stating that it would primarily be a science fiction movie with horror elements. Richard Saperstein, Brian Witten, Jack H. Harris, Judith Parker Harris, and Andy Gould were announced as additional producers on the project. At that time the project was announced to a joint-venture production between The Genre Co., Dimension Films, and Worldwide Entertainment Corporation. Principal photography was scheduled to commence in spring of 2010, with a budget of $30 million total.^[17][18][19] Zombie later stepped down from the position however, citing creative differences and due to multiple delays.^[20] Carey W. Hayes and Chad Hayes wrote the next draft of the script during this time.^[21]

In January 2015, the project re-entered development with Simon West signed on as director. Richard Saperstein and Brian Witten were to serve as producers, while producer of the original film, Jack H. Harris would serve as executive producer. The project would utilize CGI special effects to portray the titular monster. Principal photography was tentatively scheduled for that summer. Goldcrest Films, Taewon Entertainment, and A-List Corporation were intended to serve as the production studios, while Goldcrest was intended to distribute the project.^[22] West classified the film as a science fiction monster movie featuring alien invasion which would explore the extra terrestrial in greater detail, stating that it would be similar to Alien and Predator.^[16] By May 2021, following various degrees of development hell, the project was delayed once more with producers citing the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the reasons. Despite this, the producers filed a lawsuit stating that the coronavirus extends their contract deadline to continue retaining the film rights.^[23]

By January 2024, West had stepped down from his role as director, following a resolution to the rights dispute. David Bruckner was hired to write and direct, with David S. Goyer and Keith Levine attached as producers and Judith Harris (the rights holder and widowed-wife of franchise producer) serving as executive producer. The project will be a joint-venture production between Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, and Phantom Four Films.^[24]

The titular monster from another planet also featured in various other films, namely a number of 3D-styled animated monster-family comedies. Dreamworks Animation movie, Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) includes characters inspired by various '50s "creature" films,^[30] while the Sony Pictures Animation Hotel Transylvania franchise, includes incarnations of various Universal Classic Monsters in addition to monsters from other franchises and studios.^[31]

Since 1999, a yearly event called Blobfest has been held in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania at the Colonial Theatre as scenes for the film were filmed there, as well as surrounding cities and at the theater. The events celebrate the town's portrayal and appearance in The Blob films, and include: 1950s live music, skit performances, cosplaying by attendees encouraged to dress as characters from the films as well as in the style of the time period, food and drink vendors, souvenir memorabilia, and a reenactment of the "run out" scene featured in the film.^[32][33][34]

In 1997, film historians named Kim R. Holston and Tom Winchester were quoted as noting that The Blob (1958) was a "very famous piece of pop culture is a model of a decent movie on a small budget".^[6]

Additionally, the film is recognized by American Film Institute in the following lists:

• 2001: AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated^[35]
• 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains - The 50 Greatest Heros & 50 Greatest Villains: "The Blob" – #30 Nominated Villain^[36]

In computing, a Binary large object or "blob" is classified as a collection of binary data stored as a single file. These "blobs" typically consist of images, audio, other multimedia objects, or a combination of these items. Additionally, sometimes executable code is stored as a "blob". Binary large objects originally were originally non-descript large accumulations of data invented by Jim Starkey at the Digital Equipment Corporation. Starkey later described their function jokingly as "the thing that ate Cincinnati, Cleveland, or whatever...[from] the 1958 Steve McQueen movie", acknowledging that their term refers to The Blob.^[37]