Latest news with #BasicInstinct
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Men are punching the air at the prospect of a Basic Instinct remake
I wouldn't claim Basic Instinct made me who I am, but Joe Eszterhas exerted such powerful sway over Gen X movie-goers that a part of me will always long to be Sharon Stone circa 1992: glacially blonde, provocative and 10 steps ahead of Michael Douglas's impulsive detective. The screenplay writer rebooted the erotic noir genre, which had first been popularised by seminal films like The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity, with Basic Instinct going on to gross $400 million worldwide. There may be no scene more infamous in cinema than the police interrogation where Stone's crime novelist, Catherine Tramell, recrosses her sleek, bare legs to make it clear she's ditched her knickers. Eszterhas then went full throttle with kitsch sex extravaganza Showgirls, or what I think of as 42 nd Street without clothes. The latter proved a box office flop and tanked Elizabeth Berkley's acting career, but went on to make millions via home video rentals and is now viewed as a cult classic. These films were as key to the spirit of the wayward 1990s as grunge, waif chic, warehouse raves and the Young British Artists. Basic Instinct, in particular, was feted for its labyrinthian plotting of sexual intrigue. Tramell, who is bisexual, is suspected of murder after an icepick is used to stab her rockstar lover – although he's just one in a queue of many. In their wake came more sophisticated film noirs such as The Last Seduction, LA Confidential and Mulholland Drive, but it was Eszterhas and Stone who set the tone for the era, with Dutch-born Paul Verhoeven in the director's chair. Somehow, nothing since has quite hit that cinematic G-spot. This is almost certainly due to a prolonged backlash against the sexual free-for-all of that age, which birthed the Harvey Weinstein scandal and culminated in the MeToo movement in 2017. With them came woke warriors across Hollywood reigning in writers' and directors' lewder impulses. But we may be about to witness a dramatic shift in what's deemed acceptable on our screens. It's just been announced that the octogenarian Eszterhas has signed a $2million deal with Amazon MGM to reboot Basic Instinct with a new script (he will double his fee if the movie gets made). Judging from Eszterhas's public statement, he feels like he's ingested a giant dose of creative Viagra: 'To those who question what an 80-year-old man is doing writing a sexy, erotic thriller: the rumours of my cinematic impotence are exaggerated and ageist'. In red-blooded mode he continued, '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 his is 'sky high up' to write this piece and provide viewers with a wild and orgasmic ride. That makes me very happy.' It's a pronouncement that has led to frenzied speculation about what the reboot will involve. William Hill have already named British actress Florence Pugh as favourite to replace Stone in the lead role, with Margot Robbie just behind. But would a 'twisted little man' plot anything so obvious, when he can toy with the modern obsession with gender identity? Wouldn't it be more fun to make Douglas's detective a gay or bisexual woman (maybe even trans) who feels drawn against her principles to male swagger and danger? I've noted that recent literary offerings, such as Lilian Fishman's novel Acts of Service and Gillian Anderson's compilation of women's desires Want, involve gay women desiring unrepentantly heterosexual men as a sexual fantasy. The scenario also represents the ultimate breach of modern taboos: what do women want? Straight blokes, as it turns out. Or perhaps the twistiest part of it would be no character declaring themselves bisexual, or ADHD. Perhaps Stone could star once more, giving lie to the idea that older women aren't desirable. I have to report that several male writer friends confessed they punched the air when they read Eszterhas's statement. One told me he's on a male authors' WhatsApp group where there was jubilation at the idea men might be allowed to explore libido again. In the 1980s and 90s our artistic culture seemed dominated by straight men's exploration of sexual desire: Philip Roth, Nicholson Baker and Bret Easton Ellis let each of their twisted little men roam free, while Martin Amis's femme fatales, like Nicola Six, towered over the UK literary landscape. But then lads' mags with their escalating objectification of women, and advertising campaigns like 1994's Wonderbra 'hello boys' billboards featuring a pneumatic Eva Herzigova, led to a feminist push-back. It's worth noting that the first two series of Game of Thrones (2011-12) were praised as drama, but slated for often violent, coercive or just gratuitous sex-scenes. There was a growing 'back in your box!' mentality amongst commissioning editors and producers, many of whom were women. As a result, for the last two decades it's often seemed that only female writers and artists are licensed to explore their sexual imaginations in our great cultural spaces. Yet outside policed arts spaces, ever more extreme online pornography and rampant misogynist influencers – including Andrew Tate – flourish unabated. Which begs the question: can an old hand like Eszterhas make compelling, original drama from these contradictions? On paper he has undeniable form as both a storyteller and shock-jock. However, he hasn't written a solo-authored, box office smash since Basic Instinct; you wonder if the Amazon execs have looked closely at the plot and dire reviews for Burn Hollywood Burn (his satire on the movie business, starring Eric Idle). My experience of using ageing rogues to write on sex for the Erotic Review in the late 1990s wouldn't necessarily fill anyone with confidence. The co-producer of Beyond the Fringe, Willie Donaldson, wrote about living with a brothel madam on the Fulham Road, while the novelist and screenplay writer Simon Raven (author of Alms for Oblivion) – who in his day could have given bad-boy Eszterhas a run for his money – kept submitting short stories that focussed on intergenerational incest. I'm very broad-minded, but it's long felt to me that male erotic fantasies often have a shorter shelf-life than female ones. This helps explain why Anais Nin is still a feted writer, while Henry Miller isn't. I can't help fretting that Eszterhas's twisted little man (some would say 'perv') may not be as fresh and youthful as he fancies. Only time and a script will tell. Meanwhile, it's worth reflecting that – for me at least – the worst-taste aspect of Basic Instinct is Michael Douglas wearing a grey v-neck sweater with nothing underneath it.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Sharon Stone mourns the death of her mother Dorothy
Sharon Stone's mother has passed away. The 67-year-old actress took to Instagram on Monday (21.07.25) to share news of her mother Dorothy's passing at the age of 91 - which is said to have happened in March. In an emotional social media post, Sharon wrote: "My hilarious, complex mother died. "A product of the last depression, let's NOT do this again. Let's protect and care." The Basic Instinct star previously described her mother's parenting style as "tough" and explained that feminism was among "the rules of my household". Speaking at the Zurich Film Festival in 2021, Sharon recalled asking Dorothy: "Why (do) you never let me lean on you?' She said: 'Because I taught you to stand on your two goddamn feet.'" However, the actress explained that she later came to appreciate the tough love from her mother. Sharon said: "She gave me the most loving, the most concerted thing a mother can give another woman. "I didn't understand it when I was young, but at 15, in college, and later modelling in New York and Milan, it became a gift." Sharon has three adopted sons - Roan, 25, Laird, 20, and Quinn, 19, and explained that she is glad that she prioritised motherhood over her Hollywood career after suffering a brain haemorrhage in 2001. The Casino star told People in 2023: "I'm grateful that I chose motherhood as a healthy approach to my life and I didn't prioritise Hollywood, because they certainly didn't prioritise me." Sharon lamented how her health scare halted her movie career and led the collapse of her marriage with journalist Phil Bronstein -with the couple divorcing in 2004. She said: "I lost everything. I lost all my money. I lost custody of my child. I lost my career. I lost all those things that you feel are your real identity and your life. "I never really got most of it back, but I've reached a point where I'm okay with it, where I really do recognise that I'm enough." Sharon admits that it was tough to come to terms with her illness as she felt that she was supposed to be "taking care of everybody else". She explained: "I come from a very broken family. I grew up believing that taking care of everybody else was what I was supposed to do. It took me a long time to understand that I had a life of my own and that I didn't have to fix it for everybody else, and that it was okay for me to receive care, for me to be enough as a disabled person. "I feel proud of myself and proud of my accomplishments - from surviving to helping others survive."
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sharon Stone's mom Dorothy dead at 91
Sharon Stone's mother, Dorothy Marie Stone, has passed away at the age of 91. The 'Basic Instinct' actress announced the news on Monday, July 21, in a short post on Instagram. 'My hilarious, complex mother died,' Sharon, 67, wrote alongside a sweet photo with her late mom. 'A product of the last depression, let's NOT do this again.' Advertisement Sharon Stone announced her mother Dorothy's death in a short Instagram post Monday. Sharon Stone/Instagram 'Let's protect and care,' she added with an American flag emoji. While Sharon announced her mother's death this week, an obituary for Dorothy published in the Montana newspaper Daily Inter Lake revealed that she passed away back in March. Advertisement 'Mother of Michael, Sharon and Kelly (and thelate Patrick Stone) passed away peacefully with her family and close friends by her side on March 26, 2025,' the obit read. The Post has reached out to Sharon's rep for comment.
Mint
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Basic Instinct reboot in works with original writer Joe Eszterhas
Washington DC [US], July 20 (ANI): Paul Verhoeven's directorial 'Basic Instinct' is being rebooted. The 1992 erotic crime thriller will receive an updated spin, to be written by the original screenwriter, Joe Eszterhas, reported People. The film will be released with Scott Stuber's United Artists banner and Amazon MGM Studios. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, 'Basic Instinct' follows crime novelist Catherine Tramell (Stone) as she becomes implicated in the death of retired rock star Johnny Boz (Bill Cable), while embarking on a complicated relationship with the detective on her case (Douglas), reported by People. The film previously received a sequel in 2006 from a different writing and producing team, and the new film is intended to reboot the original. Stone could possibly return, as per the outlet. 'Basic Instinct' earned Academy Award nominations for its editing and original score at the time. In the 1990s, the film courted controversy for its depiction of an LGBTQ character as a dangerous killer at the tail end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The criticism led to protests on the night Stone hosted Saturday Night Live to promote the movie, with protesters interrupting the actress's opening monologue, resulting in six arrests in Studio 8H, as per the outlet. "All these people are getting beat up and handcuffed right in front of me, and we went live," Stone recalled of the incident in 2024, adding, "I was doing this live monologue while they were beating up and handcuffing people at my feet," according to People. (ANI)
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Margot Robbie packs on the PDA with husband Tom Ackerley during intimate balcony moment in Italy
Margot Robbie and husband Tom Ackerley enjoyed a tender moment during their getaway to Naples, Italy on Friday. The Barbie star, 35, and the film producer, 35, packed on the PDA on the balcony of the Grand Hotel Parker's while taking in the historic views. Tom was pictured tenderly placing both hands on his wife's midriff while kissing her from behind, with Margot covering one of his hands with her own. The Australian actress — who gave birth to their first child last October — showed off her toned legs in a chic mini dress with an elephant print. Margot, who was recently tipped as favorite to star in a 'wild and orgasmic' reboot of the '90s cult classic Basic Instinct, completed the look with a pair of beige mesh flats. She wore her long golden tresses cascading down her shoulders as she sipped from a bottle of water. Meanwhile Tom — whom the star married in 2016 — sported a light button-up shirt and dark shorts. The two new parents are reportedly over the moon with their son. 'They waited a long time to get pregnant, so it was almost unbelievable when the baby actually arrived,' an insider told People in November. 'They've both been settling into being parents. They're homebodies so it's been lovely to spend the time just them, at home with him,' the insider added. 'They're so happy.' Margot's pregnancy was made public in July and the couple enjoyed a romantic 'babymoon' to Sardinia, Italy, at the end of August. The couple welcomed their son in October, and are yet to reveal their child's name. Tom and Margot first met in 2013 while working on Suite Française, where he was an assistant director, and she was in front of the camera. They cemented their relationship after moving in together with other friends in a four bed house in Clapham, South London, which according to Margot was the 'best days of my life'. The couple got married in 2016 and are co-producers on a number of projects, including Hulu's Dollface, through their production company LuckyChap Entertainment. 'I was the ultimate single gal. The idea of relationships made me want to vomit,' Margot told Vogue in 2016. 'And then this crept up on me. We were friends for so long. I was always in love with him, but I thought, Oh, he would never love me back. Don't make it weird, Margot. 'Don't be stupid and tell him that you like him. And then it happened, and I was like, of course we're together. This makes so much sense, the way nothing has ever made sense before.' It comes after Robbie has emerged as a favorite to star in a new reboot of Basic Instinct. The Wrap reported this week that Amazon MGM Studios' United Artists had acquired the rights to an as-yet-untitled reboot of the controversial 1992 erotic thriller. News of the reboot sent fans into a frenzy on social media, with many offering their pick to take on the film's antagonist Catherine Tramell, played in the original by Sharon Stone. 'OMG Margot Robbie would be perfect for this,' one film fan wrote on X,' while another offered a similar sentiment: 'remake it with Margot Robbie.' It seems the market agrees, with UK bookmaker William Hill placing the Barbie actress as one of the favorites to star. They currently have Margot at 3/1 odds, just behind Oppenheimer star Florence Pugh at 2/1. Other actresses in contention include Sydney Sweeney (5/1), Anya Taylor-Joy (6/1), Ana de Armas (8/1), and Jodie Comer (10/1). Pop star Lady Gaga, meanwhile, is the outside chance at 12/1 odds. Joe Eszterhas, the Hollywood veteran screenwriter behind the 1992 original, has inked a $4million deal to pen the reboot, the publication reported. The original Basic Instinct, starring Stone and Michael Douglas, was a box office phenomenon, grossing more than $350million globally. The film followed Douglas as Detective Nick Curran, who becomes embroiled in a dangerous seduction game with novelist Catherine Tramell (Stone), a prime suspect in a murder investigation. The film, known for its explicit content, including Stone's now-iconic interrogation scene, shot the actress into the stratosphere. Back in 2023, Stone revealed that Robbie would be the perfect choice to play her in a film adaptation of her life. 'I adore Margot Robbie so probably her,' she said on The Lady Gang Podcast in 2023. 'She is so talented. After I saw her playing Tonya Harding I was like you're it.'
