February 10, 2012

The remakes continue to pour out of Hollywood. Noext up: a re-do of the Alfred Hitchcock classic Rebecca is in development.

Industry trade magazine Variety reports that Dreamworks and Working Title studios have hired Eastern Promises screenwriter Steven Knight to pen the movie, based on the Daphne DuMaurier novel.

Hitchcock shot Rebecca — the story of a young woman who moves into the mansion of her rich, older husband and is soon haunted by the memory of his dead wife –  back in 1940 with an unforgettable gothic style.

Starring Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, Rebecca was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won two, including Best Picture.

No word yet on who may be tapped to direct or star, but Hitchcock remakes have a history of struggling to find audiences. Horror fans mocked Gus Van Sant's shot for shot remake of Psycho in 1998 and and effort to remake The Birds has failed to take flight.

THR reports that Knight, however, is having a banner year. The screenwriter just finished typing up an adaptation of Dan Brown's best-seller The Lost Symbol and will soon begin work on his directorial debut, Hummingbird, starring action hero Jason Statham.

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