One of the defining thrillers of the 1990s is getting a modern update.
Original series creator and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas has signed a deal with Amazon’s United Artists to write a “reboot” of Basic Instinct, the 1992 thriller starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone. According to TheWrap, “the deal is the biggest spec script sale of the year so far, and commits Amazon to a $2 million payout against a potential $4 million to Eszterhas if the movie is made.”
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The original Basic Instinct screenplay by Eszterhas was a hot item in Hollywood in the late ’80s and early ’90s as well; it was ultimately directed by RoboCop’s Paul Verhoeven and released by TriStar Pictures. The film garnered significant controversy because of its explicit sexual content, as well as its (sometimes not especially flattering) depictions of its lesbian characters. It also turned Sharon Stone into a huge movie star and became a massive hit, grossing more than $350 million worldwide.
That led to a slew of (mostly terrible) imitators and copycats, along with a sequel, Basic Instinct 2, in 2006. That movie featured only Stone; Verhoeven and Eszterhas were not involved and Michael Douglas did not return as co-star. (It’s not clear at the moment if any of those names besides Eszterhas will be involved in this new update, although TheWrap claims Stone “could return” in the reboot.)
Esterhas gave this statement to TheWrap about the new:
To those who question what an 80-year-old man is doing writing a sexy, erotic thriller: the rumors of my cinematic impotence are exaggerated and ageist. I call my writing partner the TWISTED LITTLE MAN and he lives somewhere deep inside me. He was born 29 and he will die 29 and he tells me he is ‘sky high up’ to write this piece and provide viewers with a wild and orgasmic ride. That makes me very happy.
Well okay then.
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