If the name Walter Hill conjures up at a moment's notice the thrills of “The Driver,” “Streets of Fire,” or “The Warriors,” then it's probably least damaging for your memories to witness the director's work today. After a break from doing TV work on “Deadwood” and the mini-series “Broken Trail,” he came roaring back with the Sly Stallone actioner “Bullet to the Head,” whose trailer promises something only vaguely resembling a coherent film. And now, after hints toward him remaking a demented classic occurred recently, it appears the film has now found the means to become a reality.
After Hill revealed during San Diego Comic-Con plans to direct a remake of the Bette Davis/Joan Crawford classic, “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?,” warning signs immediately went up. They only intensified when the director puzzlingly promised to keep the film “period-based, but more contemporary and classic.” But apparently, Lakeshore Entertainment are fully on board, because main partners Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi have decided to produce and finance the film alongside The Aldrich Company's Adell Aldrich.
Hill will also rewrite the 1962 film's script, which Lukas Heller originally adapted from the Henry Farrell novel, but hopefully he'll flesh out his confusing approach further before production begins. Robert Aldrich's beautifully rendered film tells the tale of two bitterly retired sisters, living together in a decrepit mansion on the fumes of their previous acting careers, and it'll take a lot more panache than what's glimpsed in 'Bullet' to even come close.
Hopefully a pair of sterling actresses will be able to make the undertaking worthwhile, but for the meantime we'll just have to scratch our heads at the prospect of a 'Baby Jane' return. [Deadline]