‘Rebecca’ Remake: Alfred Hitchcock’s Only Oscar Winner Gets Re-Commissioned By DreamWorks

At least it isn’t “Psycho” “Rear Window.” According to Variety, DreamWorks has begun plans to remake the Alfred Hitchcock classic “Rebecca” with “History of Violence” screenwriter Steven Knight.

Knight — Oscar nominated for writing “Dirty Pretty Things” in 2002, and also responsible for the David Cronenberg film “Eastern Promises” — will apparently go back to the Daphne DuMaurier source novel for his adaptation, and not work directly off Hitchcock’s moody thriller.

The original 1940 film followed Mrs. de Winter (Joan Fontaine), a “naive young woman” who marries a rich widower (Laurence Olivier) and moves into his mansion — which just so happens to be haunted by his previous wife, Rebecca.

“Rebecca” was named Best Picture at the Academy Awards ceremony in 1941, and earned nine other nominations, including Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director. Of course, Hitchcock famously never won the award for Best Director, instead earning an honorary Oscar from the Academy in 1968. “Rebecca” was his first nomination in the category.

Hitchcock was a long-time fan of DuMaurier’s work, having adapted “Jamaica Inn” for the screen in 1939; he also based “The Birds” on one of her short stories.

[via Variety]

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