‘What Ever Happened To Baby Jane’ Set To Receive The Remake Treatment
Director Robert Aldrich’s 1962 drama What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is the latest Hollywood classic slated to get the remake treatment, according to Cinema Blend. For me, the original film is an engaging and thoroughly creepy experience, thanks in part to the inspired performances from stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. If you’re a fan of slow-burning thrillers and don’t mind black-and-white movies, then you should strongly consider giving this one a shot at some point during the month of October.
Recapturing the intensity and atmosphere of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is going to be a difficult task for filmmaker Walter Hill, who has been tapped to write and direct the remake. Of course, the power of the picture lies in the performances; whoever decides to follow in Davis and Crawford’s footsteps are going to have their work cut out for them.
The Hollywood Reporter explains that Lakeshore Entertainment is behind the upcoming remake. Although Walter Hill is understandably excited about the project, even he admitted that the film’s success lies in the talents of its stars.
“Obviously, our first task is to find the proper casting for the two defining roles,” he explained to THR.
Internet Movie Database describes the film as follows:
“In a tale that almost redefines sibling rivalry, faded actresses Blanche and ‘Baby’ Jane Hudson live together. Jane was by far the most famous when she performed with their father in vaudeville but as they got older, it was Blanche who became the finer actress, which Jane still resents. Blanche is now confined to a wheelchair – Jane ran her over with the car while drunk, even though she has no memory of it – and Jane is firmly in control. As time goes by, Jane exercises greater and greater control over her sister, intercepting her letters and ensuring that few if anyone from the outside has any contact with her. As Jane slowly loses her mind, she torments her sister, going to ever greater extremes.”
If anyone can bring something different to the What Ever Happened to Baby Jane remake, it’s certainly Walter Hill. The director has tackled a number of impressive projects over the years including The Warriors, Streets of Fire, 48 Hours, and the severely underrated Bruce Willis action flick Last Man Standing. It will be interesting to see how he interprets the tale.
Do you think the What Ever Happened to Baby Jane remake is good idea, or has Hollywood proved once again that it has run out of original ideas?
