From ‘Psycho’ to ‘The Birds’: Reimagining six classic Alfred Hitchcock movies
The ‘Master of Suspense’, Alfred Hitchcock, has long been deemed one of cinema’s untouchables. The late auteur had a distinctive style, blending pioneering camerawork, visual tricks, FX and other elements with an overall penchant for intrigue, creating some of the most influential mysteries and thrillers in existence. Accordingly, when the news recently broke that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. are working on a remake of Hitchcock’s 1958 thriller, Vertigo, many were surprised, and some were outraged.
After all, there have been remakes of Hitchcock’s work before, and all have failed to live up to his authenticity. Notably, Gus Van Sant made a like-for-like remake of Psycho in 1998, and it remains widely panned, with most asking, ‘What’s the point?’. Strangely, that year saw 1954’s Dial M for Murder loosely adapted into A Perfect Murder starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow, which also featured Viggo Mortensen, who just so happened to crop up in Van Sant’s film too. Prior to 1998, Vertigo was previously remade into the 1965 Tamil thriller Kalangarai Vilakkam and it also heavily inspired Brian de Palma’s 1976 outing Obsession.
Deadline reported that Paramount Pictures had green-lit the Knight and Downey Jr. redux of Vertigo. They conveyed that the latter is “eyeing” the role of former police investigator John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson, one of James Stewart’s most iconic characters. It got the mind working. Is this to be another critical failure like Van Sant’s, or are the pair going to somehow re-energise a tale that still remains fresh and find success?
Extending our trail of thought, we asked ourselves what other Alfred Hitchcock movies would look like if remade. Expect to see some classics reimagined, as well as our versions of Vertigo and Psycho. AI gave us a helping hand in bringing them to life.
Six Alfred Hitchcock movies reimagined:
Strangers on a Train (1951)
There is no better place to start than with one of Hitchcock’s ultimate films, Strangers on a Train. The original is brimming with tense atmosphere thanks to Hitchcock’s efforts, and it was based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, a pioneer of the psychological thriller. Originally starring Farley Granger as Guy Haines, Ruth Roman as Anne Morton and Robert Walker as Bruno Antony, the plot follows two strangers who meet on a train, with one a psychopath who suggests they “exchange” murders to help their respective situations and, more importantly, not get caught.
As this is one of the most suspenseful titles in Hitchcock’s extensive oeuvre, we thought there would be no one better to helm a reimagined version than the modern master of all things dark and mysterious, David Fincher. After all, he gave us Se7en, Zodiac and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He would certainly bring a stylish atmosphere to the film.
Fincher’s Se7en collaborator Jake Gyllenhaal should play tennis star Guy Haines, who is looking to rid himself of his promiscuous wife, Miriam Haines, with Rebecca Ferguson ideal for that role. As for the psychopath Bruno Antony? Barry Keoghan, who played the terrifyingly resolute Martin Lang in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is perfect. He’d bring a new form of terror to the fold with his unhinged gazes and ability to bounce between emotions.
Following this, Anne Hathaway would be expedient as Anne Morton, the object of Guy’s desires, with Stellan Skarsgård and Michelle Pfeiffer well placed to play her parents, Senator and Barbara Morton, respectively. They’d bring the grace of experience to the film.
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Somewhat of a departure from the intense psychological darkness that Hitchcock made his name exploring, To Catch a Thief is still one of his best works, boasting a stellar cast that includes Cary Grant, Grace Kelly and Jessie Royce Landis. A comedic romantic thriller, it is based on David Dodge’s 1952 novel of the same name. In the movie, Grant plays John ‘The Cat’ Robie, a retired cat burglar seeking to save his reputation as a reformed man by catching an imposter preying on the elite tourists on the French Riviera.
As he’s adept at crime flicks and directed the hit crime comedy-drama Catch Me If You Can in 2002, Martin Scorsese ticks all the boxes to helm this one. Whilst Cary Grant’s suave natural charm might be timeless, contemporary viewers have their answer to him in Brad Pitt, who could easily play Robie. As for wealthy love interest Frances Stevens? She should be Nope star Keke Palmer, who would bring dramatic strength to the role, in both the lighter and more serious moments, with veteran Angela Bassett also ideal for her widowed mother, Jessie Stevens. Their talent would also stop it from being all about Pitt.
Elsewhere, the jealous Danielle Foussard would be Eva Green, who always brings a degree of mystery to her roles, which would be well-suited to the character possibly hiding more than we might think. As for her father, Foussard, it would be intriguing to see the naturally paternal John Goodman in the role. Elsewhere, Monsieur Bertani should go to Scorsese’s frequent collaborator Al Pacino, with his ability to play multi-dimensional characters and criminals fitting. As for dependable insurance man H. H. Hughson, why not hire Richard E. Grant to bring some British panache to the fore? He and original Hughson actor John Williams even have aesthetic similarities.
Vertigo (1958)
If Steven Knight and Downey Jr. think that they can reimagine Vertigo, then so can we, and I’d argue that ours is much better on paper than their fledgling project. It’s all hypothetical, but this prospect would be a fascinating sensory experience. Steering this feast of the senses should be Paul Thomas Anderson, a man well-versed in bringing the many different vistas of his native California to life in titles such as Inherent Vice and Licorice Pizza.
From San Francisco to the countryside, Anderson would make good on Hitchcock’s original while employing a range of heady filming and editing techniques to add more magic. Toeing the line between dream-like and unsettling, the thought of Anderson helming Vertigo is delectable. I’m sure he’d hire Jonny Greenwood for the score too, and we know what excellence this audio-visual pairing promises.
Thanks to his ice-cool performances in Drive and The Place Beyond the Pines and his previous dalliance with detectives in The Nice Guys, Ryan Gosling is well-suited to play John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson, the ex-detective afraid of heights, originally played by James Stewart. The most enigmatic actor around at the moment, Mia Goth, would bring a compelling dose of intrigue to the characters of Madeleine Elster and Judy Barton as the web of deceit gradually unfolds. Her recent performance in Infinity Pool confirmed this call, as she can be alluring, heartbreaking and wicked.
Elsewhere, Reese Witherspoon would bring a bit of substance to the role of Marjorie ‘Midge’ Wood, Ferguson’s ex-fiancée. As for the conniving Gavin Elster? Bradley Cooper seems made for it, with him a stellar actor and aesthetically appealing to the old world of Hitchcock and the Golden Age of Hollywood.
North by Northwest (1959)
North by Northwest is a film that any director could have fun with. Its story encompasses many different settings, taking the main character, advertising executive Roger Thornhill, on a topsy-turvey adventure brimming with abundant intrigue and deception. Denis Villeneuve, undoubtedly one of the greatest filmmakers of the modern era, would bring something distinct to the story. He’s no stranger to mystery with successes in this area such as Incendies, Sicario, Prisoners and Blade Runner 2049. His stark visual style and deep understanding of cinema would create a full-bodied rendition of one of Hitchcock’s definitive moments.
The debonair Cary Grant played Thornhill in the original, meaning that man of the hour, Austin Butler – who features in Villeneuve’s Dune: Part II – gets our vote. An Oscar-nominated actor, supported by natural good looks and charisma, his take on Thornhill would be refreshing without losing sight of what makes him so memorable.
Regarding the enticing Eva Kendall, Ana de Armas, who worked with the director on Blade Runner 2049, is fitting. Her dramatic skill is a broad church, meaning the complicated story of Kendall would be no bother. The evil Phillip Vandamm should be Mads Mikkelsen, who brought steel to his role as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, with Sean Harris playing his henchman, Leonard, given his brilliance at being evil. As for the head of the unnamed government agency, The Professor, why not have Samuel L. Jackson? He’d be excellent.
Psycho (1960)
I know Psycho has already been remade, but there’s scope for it to happen again and be much more scintillating than Gus Van Sant’s. One of the greatest psychological thrillers of all time requires an understanding of the themes, with Get Out‘s Jordan Peele, our choice for the director.
A modern master of suspense, obsessed with mystery and human darkness, he’d bring his usual thought-provoking palette to the story while doing something different as he pulls from various spine-chilling influences relative to himself. As he has developed a contemporary version of The Twilight Zone, the creepy anthology series that first aired in 1959, and the 1950s-set Lovecraft County, the auteur is also well-versed in the era of Pyscho.
Many were in contention to play Anthony Perkins’ haunting psychopath Norman Bates, but Paul Dano pipped them all. His performances as the criminally insane villain The Riddler in The Batman and intellectually disabled murder suspect Alex in Prisoners saw him secure the role. Following him, British actor Nathalie Emmanuel will bring a composed cool to the role of the thief Marion Crane that kicks off proceedings, with Peele’s collaborator Daniel Kaluuya perfect for the part of her lover, Sam Loomis, who searches for her after she winds up at Bates’ Motel.
Assisting Sam in his hunt would be Zoë Kravitz as Marion’s sister, Lila, as the pair would make a fine team. Bringing experience to the fold, Joaquin Phoenix would do something unique with the PI Milton Arbogast, with Deputy Sheriff Al Chambers suited to the authority of Denzel Washington.
The Birds (1963)
Our final remake is The Birds. In what might be the most intriguing call on this list, we’d have David Lynch in the driving seat for the eerie flick. A filmmaker who is no stranger to inexplicable psychological horror, his surrealist angle would do something marvellous with Hitchcock’s subject material.
Based on the 1952 short story by Daphne de Maurier, The Birds‘ story follows a series of immensely violent bird attacks on the citizens of Bodega Bay, California. Without ruining it for the uninitiated, the natural terror featured in this movie is something Lynch could take to new heights.
The tale starts in a San Francisco pet shop, where Tippi Hedren’s socialite Melanie Daniels meets Rod Taylor’s Mitch Brenner, who wants to purchase birds for his sister’s 11th birthday. Margot Robbie is well-suited for Daniels and perfect for the contentious ‘Hitchcock Blonde’ archetype.
As for the dark and handsome Brenner, Colin Farrell would bring something fresh and instil a more three-dimensional feel to the character than in the original. Elsewhere, his cold mother, Lydia, would be brought to life by Jamie Lee Curtis following her performance as Linda Drysdale in Knives Out. The other main cast of Mitch’s ex-lover Annie Hayworth and young sister Cathy, should go to Emily Blunt and Aftersun‘s Frankie Corio, respectively.
