Last summer, it was revealed that “Basic Instinct” screenwriter Joe Eszterhas would be tackling a new “anti-woke” film at Amazon MGM Studios, and now he’s revealed that a rather interesting director is now “in talks” for the gestating erotic thriller.
Speaking with The Guardian, the veteran screenwriter claimed that producers of the reboot are in active talks with British filmmaker Emerald Fennell, who has been behind films such as “Promising Young Woman,” “Saltburn,” and released her version of the gothic love story “Wuthering Heights” earlier this year.
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“The producers are negotiating with a really interesting director, a Brit, Emerald Fennell, who did ‘Promising Young Woman’ and ‘Wuthering Heights,'” Eszterhas said of the status of the next installment. “Her sensibility is exactly right. She’s someone who is not afraid of controversy and sexuality. So I’m thrilled by that. I hope it works out.”
UPDATE: Deadline has heard back from Fennell’s reps after reaching out and told them there is “no truth in this. She is not involved in any way.”
That original movie from 1992, directed by Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, attempted to push a twist on the erotic thriller genre by having women given a slight edge on male characters in the film, which focused on a detective trying to solve a string of murders that happen to be lovers of a crime author, who becomes a suspect herself. Alongside the infamous interrogation scene, the pic became a bit of a phenomenon and certainly helped the careers of both co-stars, Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, as “Basic Instinct” is now seen as a landmark in the genre.
A direct sequel with Stone returning as novelist Catherine Tramell was released back in 2006 from director Michael Caton-Jones, which simply came and went without much of an impact, in comparison to the original.
Stone, on the heels of the reboot’s announcement, wished them “good f***ing luck” and denied that she would be involved. Considering it was announced as a reboot, we don’t exactly see her appearing in it, unless that changes in the future.
Until Amazon MGM Studios makes the announcement itself on who is officially helming this third “Basic Instinct” film, we should proceed with caution here. Then again, Fennell could be a good fit here if these negotiations work out. We’ll just have to wait and see
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