Robert Pattinson involved in remake of classic horror movie
Parker Finn, the mind behind 2022’s unsettling supernatural mystery Smile, is teaming up with Robert Pattinson to remake the cult horror film Possession.
Directed by Andrzej Żuławski and written alongside Frederic Tuten, 1981’s Possession tells the story of Sam Neill’s Mark and his wife, Isabelle Adjani’s Anna, whose lives unravel in the most disturbing of ways after the spy returns home to find his wife wanting a divorce. Set in West Berlin during the tense Cold War era, the film remains one the most shocking of the period and unravels in ways that continue to shock new viewers today.
Featuring bloody murders, ample mystery and a truly horrifying creature of H.P. Lovecraft proportions, Żuławski’s eerie movie is one of the most affecting the realm of horror has ever seen, with Neill and Adjani exceptional in their respective roles.
Although what appears at the outset to be a psychological thriller exploring marriage and divorce, the twists the Polish auteur has in store qualify it as much more than that. Given the setting, period, and elements of espionage movies that are drawn upon, there is a distinct sociopolitical context, which only adds to its effect on viewers. Notably, it is so fraught that it even made Adjani attempt suicide.
The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Finn has teamed up with Pattinson to remake Possession. The intriguing development will undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows from horror aficionados and fans of Żuławski, given that the original is so lauded and has been deemed untouchable for decades.
The project is still only in its embryonic stages. Finn is on board to pen the script, and direct and produce it under his Bad Feeling production company, with Pattinson producing it via his own banner, Icki Eneo Arlo. It is noted that The Batman star’s involvement as an actor will be explained further in the development as the script and schedules materialise. Adding to the excitement is that Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee, who worked on Zach Cregger’s acclaimed Barbarian, will also produce.
According to the publication, a bidding war has broken out between prominent entertainment companies A24, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. This process is also only in its infancy, with meetings scheduled for this week. It is possible that other companies might enter the mix.
While Pattinson’s last movie role was the title character in Matt Reeves’ 2022 hit The Batman, he will return in January next year in Bong Joon-ho’s science fiction flick, Mickey 17.
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