“Vertigo” remake with Robert Downey Jr. at Paramount

Gus Van Sant’s Psycho Will Eat Your Heart: Another Alfred Hitchcock remake is on the way.

Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to a remake of one of the Master of Suspense’s most beloved classics, Vertigo, as a precautionary measure, IndieWire has confirmed. Robert Downey Jr. is currently in talks with the star, with the Marvel star possibly taking over the lead role from John “Scottie” Ferguson, played in James Stewart’s original 1958 film.

Steven Knight, the author of the British series Peaky Blinders and the screenwriter of 2008 Eastern Promises, will write the screenplay. The news comes a day after Knight was tapped by Lucasfilm to write an upcoming Star Wars movie, directed by Shameen Obaid-Chinoy, after Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson left the project.

Based on the 1954 French novel D’entre les morts by Boileau-Narcejac, the original Vertigo tells the story of Scottie, a former police detective who develops severe dizziness and a fear of heights (or vertigo) during an incident on the premises. develops work. When an acquaintance hires Scottie to track down his wife Madeleine (Kim Novak) after she begins to act suspiciously, Scottie quickly develops an obsession with the beautiful stranger and stumbles into a complex web of conspiracies that threaten to wreck his sanity .

“Vertigo” was not an instant hit upon release, receiving mixed reviews and a modest box office performance. In the years since, however, it has grown in prominence and is now arguably Hitchcock’s most celebrated film, with praise for its score, performances and Hitchcock’s innovative filmmaking; It was the very first film to use dolly zoom shooting. In 2012, he topped the annual Sight & Sound poll of the greatest films of all time, ranking second in last year’s edition.

Hitchcock’s films, despite (or because of) their cult status, typically do not receive many remakes or re-adaptations of their source material. The most famous remake of one of the legendary director’s films is Van Sant’s 1998 Psycho, which famously recreated Hitchcock’s original 1960 film almost shot for shot. 1998 also saw a TV remake of Rear Window starring Christopher Reeve and A Perfect Murder, a retelling of Dial M for Murder.

In addition to possibly starring in the remake, Downey will produce Downey Production Banners with his wife Susan Downey through their team along with John Davis and John Fox through Davis Entertainment.

Deadline was the first to report news of a Vertigo remake to Paramount.

Registration: Stay up to date on the latest movie and TV news! Sign up for our email newsletter here.