Over the years, it’s become readily apparent that remaking an Alfred Hitchcock film is incredibly difficult. It’s not that remakes are always destined to be bad. Instead, it’s that the films that have tried to replicate the style and effectiveness of Hitchcock have failed miserably, with the most blatant example being the shot-for-shot remake of “Psycho.” With that being said, filmmaker Ben Wheatly wants everyone to understand that his upcoming version of “Rebecca” is not a remake of Hitchcock’s Oscar-winning film of the same name. It just shares the same source material.
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Speaking to Empire, Wheatley talked about his upcoming Netflix film, which is based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. The film tells the story of a young, newly married woman that has to grapple with the shadow of her new husband’s first, now-deceased wife, “Rebecca.” And though that premise is the same as the 1940 film by the legendary director, Wheatley has no interest in remaking a classic.
“It’s not, in any sense, a remake of the Hitchcock film, firmly not,” explained Wheatley. “Remaking a film is not that interesting to me, but the original source material is. I watched all the adaptations. It’s important to see what’s gone before, but that’s certainly not the focus.”
He added, “I wanted to make something that had more love in it. It’s part of trying to investigate other parts of being human. Rebecca has dark elements, and it has a psychological, haunting story within it, but it’s also about these two people in love. That was the main thing.”
The 1940 version of “Rebecca” is often regarded as one of the best from Hitchcock. The film earned 11 Oscar nominations and won Best Picture and Best Cinematography. The film stars Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.
Wheatley’s new “Rebecca” stars Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Goodman-Hill, Keeley Hawes, Sam Riley, and Ann Dowd. “Rebecca” is set to be released by Netflix on October 21. You can see a new image from the film below.
