A remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo is on the way, and writer Steven Knight thinks he is "an idiot" to try and adapt the classic film.
The beloved 1958 psychological thriller has been argued by many to not only be one of Hitchcock's best but one of the greatest movies of all time.
This classic status has cemented the movie as one of Hollywood's untouchable titles, with many assuming no potential follow-up could ever live up to the lofty expectations of the original. That was until Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight decided he would take a stab at it.
Steven Knight Knows How Hard The Vertigo Remake Will Be
Writer Steven Knight called himself "an idiot" in describing the process of writing his ongoing script for the Vertigo remake.
In an exclusive conversation with The Direct's Russ Milheim while promoting his new Disney+ series A Thousand Blows, Knight was asked about the project, saying it was "swirling around in [his] head" at the time of the interview:
The Direct: "It was reported in 2023 that you had signed on for a 'Vertigo' remake. Is that project still in development with Robert Downey, Jr.?"
Knight: "It's swirling around in my head as we speak."
He pointed to the lofty task ahead of him, calling the Alfred Hitchcock thriller "the best film ever made."
"You'd have to be an idiot to adapt it," Knight joked, admitting, "so that's what I am:"
"I'm having flashbacks to about an hour ago when I was writing. It's an interesting—I mean, of course, people consider it the best film ever made. So you'd have to be an idiot to adapt it, and so that's what I am."
Knight's connection to the project dates back (at least publicly) to March 2023, but it seems, even two years later, work on the script remains ongoing.
Breaking down the remake process so far, he compared writing the Vertigo remake script to "diffusing a second World War time bomb;" however, it is that level of complexity that excites him:
"But, you know, I like stuff like that. I like it. It's just so weird to try and do it and just give it a go. Taking that plot apart is like diffusing a second World War time bomb. It's all over. It's very complex, but it's what's occupying my waking hours."
Knight's Vertigo remake is set to be distributed by Paramount and will include upcoming Avengers: Doomsday star Robert Downey Jr. (read about Downey's Avengers 5 involvement here) in its central John "Scottie" Ferguson role—which was originally occupied by the late, great James Stewart.
Downey is also reportedly set to produce the film with his wife, Susan, and Davis Entertainment’s John Davis and John Fox (best known for their work on the Predator movies).
After its initial announcement, word on the film has been rather scarce; however, these comments from Knight seem to confirm that work is actively happening on the remake.
That is, however, barring Knight does not become occupied with something else on his ever-increasingly busy slate. The writer just finished work on the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, which is expected to debut sometime this year on Netflix, and has several other big-name projects in the works.
His latest series, A Thousand Blows, has already shot its second season (so fans have nothing to worry about there), but other titles, like a potential third season of his BBC war drama SAS: Rogue Heroes, could pull him away from the hotly anticipated remake.
With that said, Knight has been a busy man over the last few years in Hollywood, and right now seems like a relative down period for the prolific screenwriter—especially after his recent titles, like his work on the upcoming New Jedi Order Star Wars movie fell through.
So, if work on the Vertigo remake script is going to be completed, this seems like the right time.
Steven Knight's Vertigo remake has no officially announced release information.
