Latest news with #JoeEszterhas
Telegraph
22-07-2025
- 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.
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘A wild and orgasmic ride': Basic Instinct set for ‘anti-woke' reboot
Joe Eszterhas, the screenwriter of 1992 smash Basic Instinct, is to write a reboot sources close to the project are calling 'anti-woke'. As first reported by the Wrap, Eszterhas, 80, has signed a deal with Amazon MGM for the script; the streamer guarantees a $2m fee, which will be upped to $4m should the film be made, making it the most lucrative spec sale of the year. The original film starred Sharon Stone as a serial killer author who has an affair with the investigating detective, played by Michael Douglas. An interrogation scene in which Stone's character uncrosses her legs, without underwear, made the film infamous. Stone later said revealing shots were captured without her consent. '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,' Esztherhas said in a statement to the Wrap. '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.' It remains unclear whether Stone's character, Catherine Tramell, will return for the film, as she did for the 2006 belated sequel directed by Michael Caton-Jones without involvement from Eszterhas. That film was both a critical and commercial failure, making back just half its budget, while the original made some $352m (more than $800m adjusted for inflation). In 2018, Eszterhas told the Hollywood Reporter that the most problematic aspect of the first film was a sex scene between Douglas and his character's psychiatrist, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn, who said in 1993 that director Paul Verhoeven had described a 'lighter' encounter to her before filming. Some 'serious #MeToo protesters' would take issue with the sequence, he said. 'It was rough sex,' he added, 'but today's yardstick is different.' According to an individual with knowledge of the deal who spoke to the Wrap, the reboot is expected to be 'anti-woke'. The first film attracted criticism from gay and lesbian activists for its portrayal of homosexual relationships and its depiction of the central murderous bisexual psychopath. The National Organisation for Women was among those who also took issue with its treatment of women, calling it 'the most blatantly misogynistic film in recent memory'. One French mayor banned the film from showing in his municipality, calling it an apology for rape. After being diagnosed with throat cancer, Eszterhas apologised for the film's glamorisation of smoking. After the success of the film, he wrote scripts for films including Sliver, Showgirls and Jade before moving back to Ohio and returning to his Catholic faith. A planned collaboration with Mel Gibson in 2012 on a biblical film fell apart after Eszterhas accused Gibson of being unhinged and encouraging antisemitic supporters to attack him. The Basic Instinct reboot is the latest in a number of pricey blockbuster projects from Amazon MGM Studios, including the Ryan Gosling sci-fi Project Hail Mary and the first in the studio's series of James Bond films, to be directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
One of Hollywood's most provocative erotic thrillers from the 90s is getting an 'anti-woke' reboot
One of Hollywood's most provocative thrillers from the 1990s is reportedly set to get an 'anti-woke' reboot. The erotic film, titled Basic Instinct, first hit screens in 1992 and sees Detective Nick (Michael Douglas) investigate a brutal murder of Johnny Boz. The blockbuster follows the police officer, who points suspicion towards Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), the victim's girlfriend. Catherine manages to seduce Nick into falling in love with her. Basic Instinct features a well-known scene where Catherine is being quizzed by police. Amid the bombardment of questions, she distracts them when she uncrosses then recrosses her legs, leaving the men flustered seeing as she was underwear-free at the time. The scene was highly controversial at the time, and now has gone down as one of the most infamous in movie history. Now, decades after the original film was released, Basic Instinct will reportedly be rebooted after Amazon MGM Studios' United Artists acquired the rights in a $4million deal, according to The Wrap. The writer of the 1992 film, Joe Eszterhas, is set to write the possible reboot. He told The Wrap: '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.' Eszterhas added: '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.' A source close to the deal told the publication the reboot is thought to be 'anti-woke'. MailOnline has approached Amazon for comment. It comes after last year, Basic Instinct star Sharon reflected on how her famous scene would be received in modern times. Appearing at the Taormina Film Festival, the star said - per Deadline -that while the scene was considered X-rated at the time, nowadays it would have lost its shock factor. She said:'[at the time] it seemed like a scandal, and now it seems very, very ordinary. 'I think that now that women are writing, directing, producing, filming and more and more a part of filmmaking, films are less about men writing films about their fantasies of the way women are 'And actresses are less asked to portray the male fantasy, and then critics are less asked to tell us if we fulfilled the male fantasy or not. It's more, are we fulfilling the human condition?' Reflecting on how cinema had changed in the past 30 years, she said: 'Studio systems have changed dramatically. 'They've changed from making a variety of movies to making these gigantic $100 and $200 million films. 'Thirty years ago we had choices of what kind of films we could see. 'Streamers are taking over our business, and I don't think that's a terrible thing. I think we're coming back to making smaller films and a variety of films, and I think that's a good thing.'
Express Tribune
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
‘Basic Instinct' reboot confirmed as original writer cashes in big
In a move sure to ignite both nostalgia and controversy, Amazon MGM Studios' United Artists has officially greenlit a reboot of Basic Instinct, the infamous 1992 erotic thriller that made cinematic history. The project is now in active development, and the original film's screenwriter Joe Eszterhas has signed on to write the reboot, reportedly for a massive $4 million pay check. Producer Scott Stuber has acquired the rights and is aiming to retain the provocative edge that defined the original. Sharon Stone's legendary portrayal of crime novelist Catherine Trammel and Michael Douglas's detective Nick Curran became pop culture icons, particularly after the film's notorious interrogation scene. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, the original pulled in over $350 million worldwide and sparked decades of debate about sex, power, and female agency in Hollywood. Now, with Eszterhas back in the writer's chair, the reboot is expected to stay true to the essence of the original while introducing a modern lens. The move also marks a potential return of the big-screen erotic thriller, a genre that has mostly vanished in the current studio climate. Industry chatter is already swirling about who might take over the iconic roles, but casting has not yet been announced. The timing is notable, as streaming platforms increasingly compete for attention with buzzy adult thrillers. The reboot of Basic Instinct could become a defining moment for Amazon's film strategy. Fans of the original are both excited and wary, wondering how the sensual shock factor will translate in 2025. Though no release date has been confirmed, expectations are high for a bold and boundary-pushing reinterpretation of a film that once redefined the thriller genre.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Amazon is giving Joe Eszterhas $4 million to write an "anti-woke" Basic Instinct reboot
Hey, did Michael Douglas somehow summon this up by announcing he was retiring? The Wrap is reporting that Amazon MGM and United Artists are chucking $2 million—which will be upped to $4 million if the movie actually gets made—at screenwriting sleaze legend Joe Eszterhas, reportedly to write a reboot of his massively successful 1992 money-maker Basic Instinct. This is fairly wild, in so far as Eszterhas has been absent from any real Hollywood conversation—absent the occasional Showgirls nostalgia/irony confluence—for nearly 30 years, having been dropped out of the business around the time his 1997 comedy Burn Hollywood Burn bombed massively. (He did get some nice press from his 2004 memoir Hollywood Animal, but since then it's mostly been occasional headlines about feuding with Mel Gibson, and a little light coverage of his post-flop pivot to Jesus.) But apparently he's spent at least some of that intervening time writing a new Basic Instinct on spec. (And, in hindsight, why not? That's how the first movie got made, netting Eszterhas another multi-million dollar paycheck at the time.) 'But,' we hear you asking, 'How will this film, a cinematic return to a movie that collided with the sexual politics of the 1990s with absolutely zero subtlety, respond to the updated mores of our modern era?' Well, The Wrap reports that Eszterhas' script is apparently—per an insider source—for an 'anti-woke' version of a story that was already about how those dang bisexuals are always just waiting to seduce you and then stick an icepick in your head, so let that little shudder of horror you felt during the first half of this sentence serve as a reminder that Eszterhas has still got the juice, fright-wise. Basic Instinct previously got a sequel, starring Sharon Stone, but sans Eszterhas, in 2006; the film flopped hard, bringing in something like one-tenth of what the 1992 original summoned up at the box office. Amazon MGM has apparently drawn a lesson from this, although god only knows if it'll be the right one. More from A.V. Club And Just Like That… ruins Aidan Shaw once again Whisper Of The Heart left a lo-fi legacy unique to Studio Ghibli Netflix and Greg Berlanti combining powers for live-action Captain Planet reboot Solve the daily Crossword
