Basic Instinct screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is rebooting the 1992 thriller with an “anti-woke” twist.
The 80-year-old has signed a $4 million deal with Amazon/MGM to write the new screenplay.
The reboot, backed by Scott Stuber’s United Artists and Amazon MGM Studios, raised eyebrows when it was announced five days ago.
According to The Wrap, the studios are investing heavily in the project, with Eszterhas returning to update the story he originally penned more than three decades ago.
The 1992 original, directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas, became infamous for its erotic edge and psychological tension. Eszterhas was paid a then-record $3 million for the script, a rare deal even at the time.
As for the reboot, Eszterhas says the story begins in 2025 and involves serial killers, copycats, and a supernatural twist. Catherine Tramell will return as a key character, and Eszterhas is hoping Sharon Stone will reprise her role, though she won’t be the lead this time.
“I can’t talk very much about the storyline at this point because much of it isn’t formed yet. It begins in 2025. The Catherine Trammel character I will write and I hope Sharon [Stone] agrees to do the picture because I thought she was brilliant the first time out. In my reboot she is not the star of the picture but she is the main co-star of the picture. It’s about the serial killers. It’s about copycats. There’s a demonic element to it that I think will be spooky.”
