Director Walter Hill, who just recently wrapped the Sylvester Stallone flick BULLET TO THE HEAD, will sharply change genres and tackle the remake of the classic psychological thriller WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?
Hill’s extensive credits tend to lean more towards action (RED HEAT, THE WARRIORS, 48 HOURS), westerns (BROKEN TRAIL, DEADWOOD, WILD BILL), and science fiction (he has produced every ALIEN film including PROMETHEUS).
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? is an interesting choice for Hill’s next film. The film takes place entirely within a house and relies heavily on dialogue between the two sisters, originally played by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The original film was remade before as a TV movie starring Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave.
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? follows the nightmarish relationship between two sisters in a crumbling Hollywood mansion, where former child star Jane Hudson (Davis) holds captive her crippled former movie-queen sister (Crawford).
According to Hill, “The two equal leads demand great performers — that is a given. The intensity of the Gothic storyline makes a reconfiguration of the drama still a potentially searing experience. The idea is to make a modern film without modernizing the period. It needs to resonate the golden age of Hollywood.”
I would love to see this remake set in the same 1960s time period. There are numerous actresses who would be phenomenal in this update. Meryl Streep would be ideal as either sister.
Who do you see as perfect for Walter Hill’s remake?
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